Cytokeratin-1 is essential for the detection of laminar shear stress in endothelial cells

Endothelial cells regulate diverse vascular functions by perceiving and reacting to laminar shear stress. In this study, a novel shear-sensing receptor was identified through the use of a pro-inflammatory protein, lysyl-tRNA synthetase (KARS), which is known to be secreted from endothelial cells via...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sunyoung Ahn, Youngsik Seo, Heonyong Park
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Animal Cells and Systems
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/19768354.2025.2526426
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Endothelial cells regulate diverse vascular functions by perceiving and reacting to laminar shear stress. In this study, a novel shear-sensing receptor was identified through the use of a pro-inflammatory protein, lysyl-tRNA synthetase (KARS), which is known to be secreted from endothelial cells via autophagy. Binding assays demonstrated that cytokeratin-1 (CK1) interacts with KARS at the endothelial cell surface. Additionally, CK1 was shown to be critical for ECM-cell adhesion and endothelial sensing of shear stress by mediating interactions with laminin and integrin α6. Overexpression of CK1 results in hyperactivation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in response to laminar shear stress (LSS), potentially reducing the risk of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, elevated CK1 expression significantly decreases leukocyte adhesion to endothelial cells by modulating nitric oxide production stimulated by LSS. Conversely, CK1 knockdown leads to the formation of actin fibers and diminishes LSS-induced activation of several cell signaling components. These findings indicate that CK1 is a shear-sensing receptor, providing new perspectives on the close relationship between cell-to-matrix adhesion and mechanosensing.
ISSN:1976-8354
2151-2485