Role of Sialic Acid for Angiogenesis

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In this study, we show thatα2, 6-sialic acid is necessary for the cell-surface residency of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule(PECAM), a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily that plays multiple roles in cell adhesion, mechanical stress sensing, antiapoptosis and angiogenesis. As a possible underlying mechanism, we found that the homophilic interactions of PECAM in endothelial cells were dependent onα2, 6-sialic acid. We also found that the absence ofα2, 6-sialic acid downregulated the tyrosine-phosphorylation of PECAM and recruitment of SHP2, and rendered the cells more prone to mitochondria-dependent apoptosis, as evaluated using PECAM-deficient endothelial cells.