Epithelial membrane protein 2 (EMP2) regulates hypoxia-induced angiogenesis in the adult retinal pigment epithelial cell lines

• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22696-x
• Publication Date: 2022-11-12T18:03:05Z
• Authors: Michel Sun; Nina Cherian; Lucia Liu; Ann M. Chan; Brian Aguirre; Alison Chu; Jason Strawbridge; Esther S. Kim; Meng-Chin Lin; Irena Tsui; Lynn K. Gordon; Madhuri Wadehra
• Keywords: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; 0301 basic medicine; Science; 610; Retinal Pigment Epithelium; Eye; Article; 03 medical and health sciences; Rare Diseases; 0302 clinical medicine; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; 2.1 Biological and endogenous factors; Humans; Aetiology; Hypoxia; Eye Disease and Disorders of Vision; Neovascularization; Ophthalmology and Optometry; Pathologic; Membrane Glycoproteins; Biomedical and Clinical Sciences; Neovascularization, Pathologic; Q; R; Infant, Newborn; Infant; Membrane Proteins; Newborn; 3. Good health; Medicine; Retinal Pigments; Biotechnology

Pathologic retinal neovascularization is a potentially blinding consequence seen in many common diseases including diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, and vaso-occlusive diseases. This study investigates epithelial membrane protein 2 (EMP2) its role as possible modulator angiogenesis human pigment epithelium (RPE) under hypoxic conditions. To effects, the RPE cell line ARPE-19 was genetically modified to either overexpress EMP2 or knock down levels, RNA sequencing western blot analysis performed confirm changes expression at level, respectively. Protein evaluated both normoxic conditions stress. Capillary tube formation assays with umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were used evaluate functional responses. found positively correlate pro-angiogenic factors HIF1α VEGF mRNA levels Mechanistically, stabilized through downregulation von Hippel Lindau (pVHL). mediated also alter secretion paracrine factor(s) conditioned media that can regulate HUVEC migration capillary vitro assays. identifies potential mediator line. mediators VEGF, mechanistically, regulates pVHL. supports further investigation promising novel target for therapeutic treatment pathologic retina.