PEST motif serine and tyrosine phosphorylation controls vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 stability and downregulation.

The internalization and degradation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2), a potent angiogenic receptor tyrosine kinase, is a central mechanism for the regulation of the coordinated action of VEGF in angiogenesis. Here, we show that VEGFR-2 is ubiquitinated in response to VEGF, and Lys 48-linked polyubiquitination controls its degradation via the 26S proteosome. The degradation and ubiquitination of VEGFR-2 is controlled by its PEST domain, and the phosphorylation of Ser1188/Ser1191 is required for the ubiquitination of VEGFR-2. F-box-containing β-Trcp1 ubiquitin E3 ligase is recruited to S1188/S1191 VEGFR-2 and mediates the ubiquitination and degradation of VEGFR-2. The PEST domain also controls the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) through phospho-Y1173. The activation of p38 stabilizes VEGFR-2, and its inactivation accelerates VEGFR-2 downregulation. The VEGFR-2-mediated activation of p38 is established through the protein kinase A (PKA)/MKK6 pathway. PKA is recruited to VEGFR-2 through AKAP1/AKAP149, and its phosphorylation requires Y1173 of VEGFR-2. The study has identified a unique mechanism in which VEGFR-2 stability and degradation is modulated. The PEST domain acts as a dual modulator of VEGFR-2; the phosphorylation of S1188/S1191 controls ubiquitination and degradation via β-Trcp1, where the phosphorylation of Y1173 through PKA/p38 MAPK controls the stability of VEGFR-2.