Sulfated polysaccharides identified as inducers of neuropilin-1 internalization and functional inhibition of VEGF165 and semaphorin3A

Blood. 2008 Apr 15;111(8):4126-36. doi: 10.1182/blood-2007-09-112474. Epub 2008 Feb 13.

Abstract

Neuropilin-1 (NRP1) and NRP2 are cell surface receptors shared by class 3 semaphorins and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Ligand interaction with NRPs selects the specific signal transducer, plexins for semaphorins or VEGF receptors for VEGF, and promotes NRP internalization, which effectively shuts down receptor-mediated signaling by a second ligand. Here, we show that the sulfated polysaccharides dextran sulfate and fucoidan, but not others, reduce endothelial cell-surface levels of NRP1, NRP2, and to a lesser extent VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2, and block the binding and in vitro function of semaphorin3A and VEGF(165). Administration of fucoidan to mice reduces VEGF(165)-induced angiogenesis and tumor neovascularization in vivo. We find that dextran sulfate and fucoidan can bridge the extracellular domain of NRP1 to that of the scavenger receptor expressed by endothelial cells I (SREC-I), and induce NRP1 and SREC-I coordinate internalization and trafficking to the lysosomes. Overexpression of SREC-I in SREC-I-negative cells specifically reduces cell-surface levels of NRP1, indicating that SREC-I mediates NRP1 internalization. These results demonstrate that engineered receptor internalization is an effective strategy for reducing levels and function of cell-surface receptors, and identify certain sulfated polysaccharides as "internalization inducers."

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Dextran Sulfate / pharmacology*
  • Endocytosis / drug effects*
  • Endothelial Cells / cytology
  • Endothelial Cells / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Lysosomal Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Neovascularization, Physiologic / drug effects
  • Neuropilin-1 / chemistry
  • Neuropilin-1 / metabolism*
  • Polysaccharides / pharmacology*
  • Protein Binding / drug effects
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Scavenger Receptors, Class F / metabolism
  • Semaphorin-3A / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Semaphorin-3A / metabolism
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / metabolism

Substances

  • LAMP1 protein, human
  • Lysosomal Membrane Proteins
  • Polysaccharides
  • SCARF1 protein, human
  • Scavenger Receptors, Class F
  • Semaphorin-3A
  • VEGFA protein, human
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Neuropilin-1
  • Dextran Sulfate
  • fucoidan