NOSTRIN: A Protein Modulating Nitric Oxide Release and Subcellular Distribution of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 99; no. 26; pp. 17167 - 17172
• Main Authors: Zimmermann, Kirstin, Opitz, Nils, Dedio, Jürgen, Renné, Christoph, Müller-Esterl, Werner, Oess, Stefanie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 24.12.2002; National Acad Sciences
• Series: From the Cover
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Biological Sciences; Carrier Proteins - physiology; Cell membranes; CHO Cells; Complementary DNA; Cricetinae; Endothelial cells; Endothelial Growth Factors - pharmacology; Endothelium, Vascular - metabolism; Golgi apparatus; Human umbilical vein endothelial cells; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - pharmacology; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Lymphokines - pharmacology; Messenger RNA; Molecular Sequence Data; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Nitric Oxide Synthase - analysis; Nitric Oxide Synthase - chemistry; Nitric Oxide Synthase - physiology; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; Oxides; Perceptual localization; Pharmacology; Plasma interactions; Proteins; RNA, Messenger - analysis; src Homology Domains; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.252345399

Activity and localization of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is regulated in a remarkably complex fashion, yet the complex molecular machinery mastering stimulus-induced eNOS translocation and trafficking is poorly understood. In a search by the yeast two-hybrid system using the eNOS oxygenase domain as bait, we have identified a previously uncharacterized eNOS-interacting protein, dubbed NOSTRIN (for eNOS traffic inducer). NOSTRIN contains a single polypeptide chain of 506-aa residues of 58 kDa with an N-terminal cdc15 domain and a C-terminal SH3 domain. NOSTRIN mRNA is abundant in highly vascularized tissues such as placenta, kidney, lung, and heart, and NOSTRIN protein is expressed in vascular endothelial cells. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated the eNOS-NOSTRIN interaction in vitro and in vivo, and NOSTRIN's SH3 domain was essential and sufficient for eNOS binding. NOSTRIN colocalized extensively with eNOS at the plasma membrane of confluent human umbilical venous endothelial cells and in punctate cytosolic structures of CHO-eNOS cells. NOSTRIN overexpression induced a profound redistribution of eNOS from the plasma membrane to vesicle-like structures matching the NOSTRIN pattern and at the same time led to a significant inhibition of NO release. We conclude that NOSTRIN contributes to the intricate protein network controlling activity, trafficking, and targeting of eNOS.