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Slit2–Robo4 signalling promotes vascular stability by blocking Arf6 activity

Nature Cell Biology volume 11, pages 1325–1331 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Slit–Roundabout (Robo) signalling has a well-understood role in axon guidance1,2,3,4,5. Unlike in the nervous system, however, Slit-dependent activation of an endothelial-specific Robo, Robo4, does not initiate a guidance program. Instead, Robo4 maintains the barrier function of the mature vascular network by inhibiting neovascular tuft formation and endothelial hyperpermeability induced by pro-angiogenic factors6. In this study, we used cell biological and biochemical techniques to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying the maintenance of vascular stability by Robo4. Here, we demonstrate that Robo4 mediates Slit2-dependent suppression of cellular protrusive activity through direct interaction with the intracellular adaptor protein paxillin and its paralogue, Hic-5. Formation of a Robo4–paxillin complex at the cell surface blocks activation of the small GTPase Arf6 and, consequently, Rac by recruitment of Arf-GAPs (ADP-ribosylation factor- directed GTPase-activating proteins) such as GIT1. Consistent with these in vitro studies, inhibition of Arf6 activity in vivo phenocopies Robo4 activation by reducing pathologic angiogenesis in choroidal and retinal vascular disease and VEGF-165 (vascular endothelial growth factor-165)-induced retinal hyperpermeability. These data reveal that a Slit2–Robo4–paxillin–GIT1 network inhibits the cellular protrusive activity underlying neovascularization and vascular leak, and identify a new therapeutic target for ameliorating diseases involving the vascular system.

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Figure 1: The Robo4 cytoplasmic tail suppresses fibronectin-induced protrusive activity.
Figure 2: Robo4–paxillin interaction is required for Slit2-dependent inhibition of protrusive activity.
Figure 3: Robo4 blocks Rac-dependent protrusive activity through inhibition of Arf6.
Figure 4: Slit2–Robo4 signalling inhibits endothelial cell protrusive activity through paxillin and Arf-GAPs.
Figure 5: SecinH3 blocks Arf6 activation and inhibits pathologic angiogenesis and endothelial hyperpermeability in animal models of vascular eye disease.

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Acknowledgements

We thank J. Wythe for critical reading of the manuscript, and D. Lim for expert graphical assistance. J. Bonafacino provided the GST–GGA3 expression plasmid. This work was funded by grants from the H.A. and Edna Benning Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the American Heart Association, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the Department of Defense (D.Y.L.); the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (D.Y.L. and M.H.G.); the National Eye Institute (K.Z.); the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft SFB 704 (M.F.); the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (M.H.G.); the National Institute of Allergy and Disease AI065357 (D.Y.L.) and by the US National Institutes of Health, Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (N.R.L.) and training grant T32-GM007464 (A.C.C.).

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Author notes

  1. Naoyuki Nishiya

    Present address: Current address: Department of Microbial Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Iwate Medical University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-1-1 Nishitokuta, Yahaba, Shiwa-gun, Iwate 028-3694, Japan.,

  2. Haoyu Chen

    Present address: Current address: Joint Shantou International Eye Centre, Shantou University and Chinese University Hong Kong, Shantou, China.,

  3. Alaa M. Hayallah

    Present address: Current address: Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut 71526, Egypt.,

  4. Kang Zhang

    Present address: Current address: University of California at San Diego School of Medicine and VASDHS Centre for Human Genetics and Genomics, La Jolla, CA 92093-0838, USA.,

  5. Christopher A. Jones, Naoyuki Nishiya and Nyall R. London: These authors contributed equally to this work

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 84112, UT, USA

    Christopher A. Jones, Nyall R. London, Weiquan Zhu, Aubrey C. Chan & Dean Y. Li

  2. Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 84112, UT, USA

    Christopher A. Jones, Nyall R. London, Weiquan Zhu, Lise K. Sorensen, Aubrey C. Chan, Kirk R. Thomas & Dean Y. Li

  3. Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0726, CA, USA

    Naoyuki Nishiya, Chinten J. Lim & Mark H. Ginsberg

  4. Department of Ophthalmology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 84112, UT, USA

    Haoyu Chen & Kang Zhang

  5. School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599, NC, USA

    Qisheng Zhang

  6. Department of Chemistry and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, 92037, CA, USA

    Peter G. Schultz

  7. LIMES Program Unit Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, c/o Kekulé Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Strae 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany

    Alaa M. Hayallah & Michael Famulok

  8. Division of Haematology, Department of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 84112, UT, USA

    Kirk R. Thomas

  9. Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 84112, UT, USA

    Dean Y. Li

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Contributions

C.A.J., N.N., N.R.L., M.H.G. and D.Y.L. were responsible for project conceptualization and planning, experimental design, data analysis, and manuscript preparation. M.H.G. and D.Y.L. were responsible for funding the project. C.A.J., N.N. and N.R.L were responsible for performing all experiments or coordinating experimental design and work of others. W.Z., L.K.S., A.C., C.J.L. and K.R.T. performed specific and necessary experiments presented in the paper or in our response to reviewers. Q.Z., P.G.S., A.M.H., M.F. and K.Z. provided expertise, reagents or assays.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Mark H. Ginsberg or Dean Y. Li.

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Competing interests

The authors declare competing financial interests. The University of Utah has filed patents covering the technology described in this manuscript with the intent of commercializing this technology.

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Jones, C., Nishiya, N., London, N. et al. Slit2–Robo4 signalling promotes vascular stability by blocking Arf6 activity. Nat Cell Biol 11, 1325–1331 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb1976

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