Can you blame cold feet on Epac (and Rap1A)? Focus on “Cyclic AMP-Rap1A signaling activates RhoA to induce α2C-adrenoceptor translocation to the cell surface of microvascular smooth muscle cells”

Intracellular signaling by the second messenger cyclic AMP (cAMP) activates the Ras-related small GTPase Rap1 through the guanine exchange factor Epac. This activation leads to effector protein interactions, activation, and biological responses in the vasculature, including vasorelaxation. In vascular smooth muscle cells derived from human dermal arterioles (microVSM), Rap1 selectively regulates expression of G protein-coupled α2C-adrenoceptors (α2C-ARs) through JNK-c-jun nuclear signaling. The α2C-ARs are generally retained in the trans-Golgi compartment and mobilize to the cell surface and elicit vasoconstriction in response to cellular stress. The present study used human microVSM to exa…