Endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) is phosphorylated at Ser-1179 (bovine sequence) by Akt after growth factor or shear stress stimulation of endothelial cells, resulting in increased eNOS activity. Purified eNOS is also phosphorylated at Thr-497 by purified AMP-activated protein kinase, resulting in decreased eNOS activity. We investigated whether bradykinin (BK) stimulation of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) regulates eNOS through Akt activation and Ser-1179 or Thr-497 phosphorylation. Akt is transiently activated in BK-stimulated BAECs. Activation is blocked completely by wortmannin and LY294002, inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, suggesting that Akt activation occurs downstream from phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. BK stimulates a transient phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser-1179 that is correlated temporally with a transient dephosphorylation of eNOS at Thr-497. Phosphorylation at Ser-1179, but not dephosphorylation at Thr-497, is blocked by wortmannin and LY294002. BK also stimulates a transient nitric oxide (NO) release from BAECs with a time-course similar to Ser-1179 phosphorylation and Thr-497 dephosphorylation. NO release is not altered by wortmannin. BK-stimulated dephosphorylation of Thr-497 and NO release are blocked by the calcineurin inhibitor, cyclosporin A. These data suggest that BK activation of eNOS in BAECs primarily involves deinhibition of the enzyme through calcineurin-mediated dephosphorylation at Thr-497.

Bradykinin (BK) is an important physiological regulator of endothelial cell function. In the present study, we have examined the role of the Janus-activated kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathway in endothelial signal transduction through the BK B2 receptor (B2R). In cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs), BK activates Tyk2 of the JAK family of tyrosine kinases. Activation results in the tyrosine phosphorylation and subsequent nuclear translocation of STAT3. BK also activates the mitogen-activated p44 and p42 protein kinases, resulting in STAT3 serine phosphorylation. Furthermore, Tyk2 and STAT3 form a complex with the B2R in response to BK stimulation. Under basal conditions, Tyk2, STAT3 and the B2R are localized either partially or entirely in endothelial plasmalemmal caveolae. Following BK stimulation of BAECs, however, the B2R and STAT3 are translocated out of caveolae. Taken together, these data suggest that BK activates the JAK/STAT pathway in endothelial cells and that JAK/STAT signalling proteins are localized in endothelial caveolae. Moreover, caveolar localization of the B2R and STAT3 appears to be regulated in an agonist-dependent manner.

The endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is activated in response to stimulation of endothelial cells by a number of vasoactive substances including, bradykinin (BK), angiotensin II (Ang II), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and ATP. In the present study we have used in vitro activity assays of purified eNOS and in vitro binding assays with glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins to show that the capacity to bind and inhibit eNOS is a common feature of membrane-proximal regions of intracellular domain 4 of the BK B2, the Ang II AT1 and the ET-1 ETB receptors, but not of the ATP P2Y2 receptor. Phosphorylation of serine or tyrosine residues in the eNOS-interacting region of the B2 receptor results in a loss of eNOS inhibition due to a decrease in the binding affinity of the receptor domain for the eNOS enzyme. Furthermore, the B2 receptor is transiently phosphorylated on tyrosine residues in cultured endothelial cells in response to BK stimulation. Phosphorylation occurs during the time in which eNOS transiently dissociates from the receptor accompanied by a transient increase in nitric oxide production. Taken together, these data support the hypotheses that eNOS is regulated in endothelial cells by reversible and inhibitory interactions with G-protein-coupled receptors and that these interactions can be modulated by receptor phosphorylation.

Ligand binding to the angiotensin II (Ang II) AT1 receptor on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) activates the Janus-activated kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathway. We have shown previously that the JAK2 tyrosine kinase and the Src family p59 Fyn tyrosine kinase are required for Ang II-induced STAT1 tyrosine phosphorylation in VSMCs. The mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase, MKP-1, is required for STAT1 tyrosine dephosphorylation. In the present study, using specific enzyme inhibitors and antisense oligonucleotides, we show that Ang II-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT3 in VSMCs is mediated by p60 c-Src, whereas tyrosine dephosphorylation is mediated by calcineurin. Calcineurin is activated in response to Ang II stimulation of VSMCs and is translocated to the nucleus. In addition, we show that Ang II-induced serine phosphorylation of STAT3 in VSMCs is mediated by mitogen-activated protein kinase and that dephosphorylation is mediated by protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). PP2A translocates to the nucleus in response to Ang II stimulation of VSMCs and forms a complex with STAT3 in an Ang II-dependent manner.