Protein kinase B/Akt-dependent phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β in irradiated vascular endothelium

The vascular endothelium plays a critical role in the response of cancer to ionizing radiation. Activation of the phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Akt pathway is one initial signaling event in irradiated endothelial cells. Specifically, a low dose of ionizing radiation (3 Gy) induces phosphorylation of Akt at Ser ⁴⁷³ in the vascular endothelium within minutes of irradiation. However, signaling events that are downstream of Akt have not been well defined. Here, we show that phosphorylation of the Akt downstream target glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) at Ser⁹ also occurred within minutes of exposure to ionizing radiation. In addition, ionizing radiation caused the dissociation of GSK-3β from the cell membrane, consistent with the inactivation of GSK-3β enzyme activity. Overexpression of the dominant negative mutant Akt attenuated GSK-3β phosphorylation at Ser⁹ and enhanced radiation-induced apoptosis. X-irradiated endothelial cells formed capillaries in both in vitro and in vivo models, whereas overexpression of the dominant negative mutant Akt inhibited capillary tubule formation. Studies using GSK-3β antagonists showed that GSK-3β activity was required for apoptosis in endothelial cells treated simultaneously with Akt antagonists and radiation. In mouse vascular models, radiation-induced microvascular destruction in response to Akt antagonists also required GSK-3β function. These data indicate that on exposure of vascular endothelium to ionizing radiation, activation of Akt signaling contributes to GSK-3β inhibition, which in turn promotes endothelial cell survival and capillary formation. Thus, pharmacologic regulation of Akt/GSK-3β signaling may present a new approach to the radiation response in the tumor microvasculature.