Novel Cytokine-independent Induction of Endothelial Adhesion Molecules Regulated by Platelet/Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (CD31)

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1, and endotoxin stimulate the expression of vascular endothelial cell (EC) adhesion molecules. Here we describe a novel pathway of adhesion molecule induction that is independent of exogenous factors, but which is dependent on integrin signaling and cell-cell interactions. Cells plated onto gelatin, fibronectin, collagen or fibrinogen, or anti-integrin antibodies, expressed increased amounts of E-selectin, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1. In contrast, ECs failed to express E-selectin when plated on poly-L-lysine or when plated on fibrinogen in the presence of attachment-inhibiting, cyclic Arg-Gly-Asp peptides. The duration and magnitude of adhesion molecule expression was dependent on EC density. Induction of E-selectin on ECs plated at confluent density was transient and returned to basal levels by 15 h after plating when only 7 +/- 2% (n = 5) of cells were positive. In contrast, cells plated at low density displayed a 17-fold greater expression of E-selectin than did high density ECs with 57 +/- 4% (n = 5) positive for E-selectin expression 15 h after plating, and significant expression still evident 72 h after plating. The confluency-dependent inhibition of expression of E-selectin was at least partly mediated through the cell junctional protein, platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1). Antibodies against PECAM-1, but not against VE-cadherin, increased E-selectin expression on confluent ECs. Co- culture of subconfluent ECs with PECAM-1- coated beads or with L cells transfected with full-length PECAM-1 or with a cytoplasmic truncation PECAM-1 mutant, inhibited E-selectin expression. In contrast, untransfected L cells or L cells transfected with an adhesion-defective domain 2 deletion PECAM-1 mutant failed to regulate E-selectin expression. In an in vitro model of wounding the wound front displayed an increase in the number of E-selectin-expressing cells, and also an increase in the intensity of expression of E-selectin positive cells compared to the nonwounded monolayer. Thus we propose that the EC junction, and in particular, the junctional molecule PECAM-1, is a powerful regulator of endothelial adhesiveness.