Role of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway in regulating alternative splicing of tissue factor mRNA in human endothelial cells.

BACKGROUND Tissue factor (TF) is the primary initiator of blood coagulation. In response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) express 2 TF isoforms: a soluble alternatively spliced isoform (asHTF) and membrane-bound "full length" (fl)TF. How the differential TF isoform expression is regulated is still unknown. This study compared the impact of PI3K/Akt pathway inhibition on alternative splicing of TF in HUVECs, to the influence of transcriptional regulation by inhibiting nuclear factor kappa B (NFkappaB). METHODS AND RESULTS The mRNA expression of TF isoforms was assessed by real-time PCR, the thrombogenic activity was measured by a chromogenic TF activity assay and the phosphorylation state of serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins was analyzed by western blotting. Transfection of HUVECs was done 72 h before the inhibition experiments were performed. PI3K/Akt pathway inhibition reduced the mRNA expression of asHTF but not flTF. Inhibition of NFkappaB reduced the expression of both isoforms. Moreover, the PI3K/Akt pathway inhibition, but not that of NFkappaB, modified the phosphorylation of the SR proteins SRp75, SRp55 and SF2/ASF. Additionally, overexpression of SF2/ASF and SRp75 influenced the differential TF-isoform expression in HUVECs. CONCLUSIONS The PI3K/Akt pathway modulates alternative splicing of TF in HUVECs, distinct from transcriptional regulation.