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Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) stimulates endothelial cell (EC) migration. The protein kinase Akt activates the endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) by phosphorylation of Ser-1177. Therefore, we investigated the contribution of Akt-mediated eNOS phosphorylation to VEGF-induced EC migration. Inhibition of NO synthase or overexpression of a dominant negative Akt abrogated VEGF-induced cell migration. In contrast, overexpression of constitutively active Akt was sufficient to induce cell migration. Moreover, transfection of an Akt site phospho-mimetic eNOS (S1177D) potently stimulated EC migration, whereas a non-phosphorylatable mutant (S1177A) inhibited VEGF-induced EC migration. Our data indicate that eNOS activation via phosphorylation of Ser-1177 by Akt is necessary and sufficient for VEGF-mediated EC migration.
Dimmeler et al. (Tue,) studied this question.