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Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology
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Published Online
on March 21, 2002

Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2002
Published online before print March 21, 2002, doi: 10.1161/01.ATV.0000015884.61894.DC
A more recent version of this article appeared on May 1, 2002
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Submitted on February 8, 2002
Accepted on February 27, 2002

Role of Isoprenylcysteine Carboxyl Methyltransferase in Tumor Necrosis Factor-{alpha} Stimulation of Expression of Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 in Endothelial Cells

Mushtaq Ahmad *; Yan Zhang ; Yong Zhang ; Christopher Papharalambus ; and R. Wayne Alexander

From the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mahmad{at}emory.edu.

Abstract—We have previously shown that cytokine stimulation of the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), but not that of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), is redox sensitive in endothelial cells. Here, we investigated the role of isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase (ICMTase), which methylates isoprenylated CAAX (where C indicates cysteine; A, aliphatic amino acids; and X, almost any other amino acid) proteins, including Rac1, a component of superoxide-generating NAD(P)H oxidase, in the expression of VCAM-1. Pretreatment of endothelial cells with N-acetyl-S-farnesyl-L-cysteine (AFC) or N-acetyl-S-geranylgeranyl-L-cysteine, specific inhibitors of ICMTase, inhibited the tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} (TNF-{alpha}) stimulation of mRNA expression of VCAM-1 but not that of ICAM-1. Endothelial cells expressed constitutively active ICMTase, as suggested by the presence of methylated Rac1 and the methylation of AFC by the cells. TNF-{alpha} stimulation of the cells significantly increased the methylation of AFC and Rac1 in endothelial cells. That ICMTase was a component of the redox-sensitive signaling pathway was also suggested by the AFC inhibition of the generation of reactive oxygen species by TNF-{alpha}. Interestingly, the dominant-negative isoform of Rac1 was not selective but inhibited the TNF-{alpha} stimulation of the mRNA expression of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1. Thus, ICMTase is a critical component of the redox-sensitive VCAM-1--selective signaling pathway, and it appears to activate a discrete inflammatory signaling pathway, at least in part, through the methylation of Rac1.