NADPH oxidase (NOX) proteins are membrane-associated, multiunit enzymes that catalyze the reduction of oxygen using NADPH as an electron donor. NOX proteins produce superoxide (O2.-) via a single electron reduction (Brown & Griendling 2009). Superoxide molecules function as second messengers to stimulate diverse redox signaling pathways linked to various functions including angiogenesis. VEGF specifically stimulates superoxide production via RAC1 dependent activation of NOX2 complex. VEGF rapidly activates RAC1 and promotes translocation of RAC1 from cytosol to the membrane. At the membrane RAC1 interacts with the NOX enzyme complex via a direct interaction with NOX2 (gp91phox or CYBB) followed by subsequent interaction with the NCF2 (Neutrophil cytosol factor 2) or p67phox subunit and this makes the complex active (Bedard & Krause 2007). O2.- derived from Rac1-dependent NOX2 are involved in oxidation and inactivation of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) which negatively regulate VEGFR2, thereby enhancing VEGFR2 autophosphorylation, and subsequent redox signaling linked to angiogenic responses such as endothelial cell proliferation and migration (Ushio-Fukai 2006, 2007).
Alexander, RW, Quinn, MT, Fujimoto, M, Ma, Y, Dikalov, SI, Johnson, C, Ushio-Fukai, M, Fukai, T, Pagano, PJ, Tang, Y
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