S-nitrosylation of VASP at cysteine 64 mediates the inflammation-stimulated increase in microvascular permeability.

We tested the hypothesis that platelet-activating factor (PAF) induces S-nitrosylation of vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) as a mechanism to reduce microvascular endothelial barrier integrity and stimulate hyperpermeability. PAF elevated S-nitrosylation of VASP above baseline levels in different endothelial cells and caused hyperpermeability. To ascertain the importance of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) subcellular location in this process, we used ECV-304 cells transfected with cytosolic eNOS (GFPeNOSG2A) and plasma membrane eNOS (GFPeNOSCAAX). PAF induced S-nitrosylation of VASP in cells with cytosolic eNOS but not in cells wherein eNOS is anchored to the cell membrane. Reconstitution of VASP knockout myocardial endothelial cells with cysteine mutants of VASP demonstrated that S-nitrosylation of cysteine 64 is associated with PAF-induced hyperpermeability. We propose that regulation of VASP contributes to endothelial cell barrier integrity and to the onset of hyperpermeability. S-nitrosylation of VASP inhibits its function in barrier integrity and leads to endothelial monolayer hyperpermeability in response to PAF, a representative proinflammatory agonist.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here, we demonstrate that S-nitrosylation of vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) on C64 is a mechanism for the onset of platelet-activating factor-induced hyperpermeability. Our results reveal a dual role of VASP in endothelial permeability. In addition to its well-documented function in barrier integrity, we show that S-nitrosylation of VASP contributes to the onset of endothelial permeability.