Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor promotes angiogenesis through Sp1/Sp3-mediated inhibition of notch signaling in male mice

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 731
• Main Authors: Lu, Hanlin, Yuan, Peidong, Ma, Xiaoping, Jiang, Xiuxin, Liu, Shaozhuang, Ma, Chang, Philipsen, Sjaak, Zhang, Qunye, Yang, Jianmin, Xu, Feng, Zhang, Cheng, Zhang, Yun, Zhang, Wencheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 09-02-2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 42; 42/89; 45/15; 45/77; 49/88; 631/154/53/2423; 631/337/572; 692/4019/592/16; 82/51; 96; Angiogenesis; Angiogenesis inhibitors; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; Animals; Capillaries; Cardiovascular diseases; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Enzyme inhibitors; Enzymes; Fetuses; Humanities and Social Sciences; Inactivation; Ischemia; Male; Males; Mice; multidisciplinary; Notch1 protein; Peptidyl-dipeptidase A; Phenotypes; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Signal transduction; Signaling; Sp1 Transcription Factor - genetics; Sp1 Transcription Factor - metabolism; Transcription factors; Tumors; Ubiquitin-Specific Peptidase 7 - metabolism
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36409-z

Angiogenesis is a critical pathophysiological process involved in organ growth and various diseases. Transcription factors Sp1/Sp3 are necessary for fetal development and tumor growth. Sp1/Sp3 proteins were downregulated in the capillaries of the gastrocnemius in patients with critical limb ischemia samples. Endothelial-specific Sp1/Sp3 knockout reduces angiogenesis in retinal, pathological, and tumor models and induced activation of the Notch1 pathway. Further, the inactivation of VEGFR2 signaling by Notch1 contributes to the delayed angiogenesis phenotype. Mechanistically, endothelial Sp1 binds to the promoter of Notch1 and inhibits its transcription, which is enhanced by Sp3. The proangiogenic effect of ACEI is abolished in Sp1/Sp3-deletion male mice. We identify USP7 as an ACEI-activated deubiquitinating enzyme that translocated into the nucleus binding to Sp1/Sp3, which are deacetylated by HDAC1. Our findings demonstrate a central role for endothelial USP7-Sp1/Sp3-Notch1 signaling in pathophysiological angiogenesis in response to ACEI treatment.
ACE inhibitors are widely used to treat cardiovascular diseases and promote angiogenesis. Here, the authors show a central role for endothelial USP7-Sp1/Sp3-Notch1 signalling in pathophysiological angiogenesis in response to ACE inhibitor treatment.