Nesprin-1 and nesprin-2 regulate endothelial cell shape and migration

Abstract

Nesprins are large multi-domain proteins that link the nuclear envelope to the cytoskeleton and nucleoskeleton. Here we show that nesprin-1 and nesprin-2 play important roles in regulating cell shape and migration in endothelial cells. Nesprin-1 or nesprin-2 depletion by RNAi increased endothelial cell spread area and the length of cellular protrusions, as well as stimulating stress fibre assembly which correlated with an increase in F-actin levels. Nuclear area was also increased by nesprin depletion, and localization of the inner nuclear membrane protein emerin to the nuclear envelope was reduced. Depletion of nesprin-1 or nesprin-2 reduced migration of endothelial cells into a cell-free area, and decreased loop formation in an in vitro angiogenesis assay. Taken together, our results indicate that nesprin-1 and nesprin-2 both regulate nuclear and cytoplasmic architecture, which we propose leads to their effects on endothelial cell migration and angiogenic loop formation.

Keywords: actin cytoskeleton; angiogenesis; cell migration; cell morphology; endothelial cells; nuclear envelope.