Vascular Endothelial Cell Growth Factor A Acts via Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor α To Promote Viability of Cells Enduring Hypoxia

Vascular endothelial cell growth factor A (VEGF) is a biologically and therapeutically important growth factor because it promotes angiogenesis in response to hypoxia, which underlies a wide variety of both physiological and pathological settings. We report here that both VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2)-positive and -negative cells depended on VEGF to endure hypoxia. VEGF enhanced the viability of platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα)-positive and VEGFR2-negative cells by enabling indirect activation of PDGFRα, thereby reducing the level of p53. We conclude that the breadth of VEGF's influence extends beyond VEGFR-positive cells and propose a plausible mechanistic explanation of this phenomenon.