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Mildly oxidized low density lipoprotein (mox-LDL) is critically involved in the early atherogenic responses of the endothelium and increases endothelial permeability through an unknown signal pathway. Here we show that (i) exposure of confluent human endothelial cells (HUVEC) to mox-LDL but not to native LDL induces the formation of actin stress fibers and intercellular gaps within minutes, leading to an increase in endothelial permeability; (ii) mox-LDL induces a transient decrease in myosin light chain (MLC) phosphatase that is paralleled by an increase in MLC phosphorylation; (iii) phosphorylated MLC stimulated by mox-LDL is incorporated into stress fibers; (iv) cytoskeletal rearrangements and MLC phosphorylation are inhibited by C3 transferase from Clostridium botulinum, a specific Rho inhibitor, and Y-27632, an inhibitor of Rho kinase; and (v) mox-LDL does not increase intracellular Ca(2+) concentration. Our data indicate that mox-LDL induces endothelial cell contraction through activation of Rho and its effector Rho kinase which inhibits MLC phosphatase and phosphorylates MLC. We suggest that inhibition of this novel cell signaling pathway of mox-LDL could be relevant for the prevention of atherosclerosis.

To test the role of Rho GTP-binding proteins in growth regulation of human myelomonocytic tumour cells we used recombinant C3 exoenzyme of Clostridium botulinum to specifically ADP-ribosylate and inactivate Rho proteins in situ. In homogenates of HL60 cells, the C3 exoenzyme [32P]ADP-ribosylated one protein that was identified as RhoA by immunoblot and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. [32P]ADP ribosylation of RhoA in HL60 homogenates in vitro was reduced to 10-20% when cells in culture were pretreated with C3 exoenzyme (10 micrograms, 24 h), indicating that 80-90% of RhoA could be ADP-ribosylated in situ. The C3 exoenzyme inhibited HL60 cell proliferation by up to 80% and the degree of growth inhibition correlated with the amount of in situ ADP-ribosylated RhoA in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Cell cycle analysis demonstrated that the C3 exoenzyme-treated HL60 cells accumulated in mitosis, and nuclear staining revealed binucleated cells. These findings suggest that RhoA has a key role in human myelomonocytic tumour cell growth by regulating cytoplasmic division.

The role of Rho GTPase and its downstream targets Rho kinase and myosin light chain phosphatase in thrombin-induced endothelial cell contraction was investigated. The specific Rho inactivator C3-transferase from Clostridium botulinum as well as microinjection of the isolated Rho-binding domain of Rho kinase or active myosin light chain phosphatase abolished thrombin-stimulated endothelial cell contraction. Conversely, microinjection of constitutively active V14Rho, constitutively active catalytic domain of Rho kinase, or treatment with the phosphatase inhibitor tautomycin caused contraction. These data are consistent with the notion that thrombin activates Rho/Rho kinase to inactivate myosin light chain phosphatase in endothelial cells. In fact, we demonstrate that thrombin transiently inactivated myosin light chain phosphatase, and this correlated with a peak in myosin light chain phosphorylation. C3-transferase abolished the decrease in myosin light chain phosphatase activity as well as the subsequent increase in myosin light chain phosphorylation and cell contraction. These data suggest that thrombin activates the Rho/Rho kinase pathway to inactivate myosin light chain phosphatase as part of a signaling network that controls myosin light chain phosphorylation/contraction in human endothelial cells.