Breviario F, Caveda L, Corada M, Martin-Padura I, Navarro P, Golay J, Introna M, Gulino D, Lampugnani M G, Dejana E
Istituto de Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milano, Italy.
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1995 Aug;15(8):1229-39. doi: 10.1161/01.atv.15.8.1229.
Human vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin, 7B4/cadherin-5) is an endothelial-specific cadherin localized at the intercellular junctions. To directly investigate the functional role of this molecule we cloned the full-length cDNA from human endothelial cells and transfected its coding region into Chinese hamster ovary cells. The product of the transfected cDNA had the same molecular weight as the natural VE-cadherin in human endothelial cells, and reacted with several VE-cadherin mouse monoclonal antibodies. Furthermore, it selectively concentrated at intercellular junctions, where it codistributed with alpha-catenin. VE-cadherin conferred adhesive properties to transfected cells. It mediated homophilic, calcium-dependent aggregation and cell-to-cell adhesion. In addition, it decreased intercellular permeability to high-molecular weight molecules and reduced cell migration rate across a wounded area. Thus, VE-cadherin may exert a relevant role in endothelial cell biology through control of the cohesion and organization of the intercellular junctions.
人血管内皮钙黏蛋白（VE-钙黏蛋白，7B4/钙黏蛋白-5）是一种定位于细胞间连接的内皮特异性钙黏蛋白。为了直接研究该分子的功能作用，我们从人内皮细胞中克隆了全长cDNA，并将其编码区转染到中国仓鼠卵巢细胞中。转染cDNA的产物与人内皮细胞中天然VE-钙黏蛋白具有相同的分子量，并与几种VE-钙黏蛋白小鼠单克隆抗体发生反应。此外，它选择性地聚集在细胞间连接部位，并与α-连环蛋白共分布。VE-钙黏蛋白赋予转染细胞黏附特性。它介导同源性、钙依赖性聚集和细胞间黏附。此外，它降低了细胞对高分子量分子的通透性，并降低了细胞在伤口区域的迁移速率。因此，VE-钙黏蛋白可能通过控制细胞间连接的黏附力和组织来在内皮细胞生物学中发挥相关作用。
