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Background  Thrombomodulin (TM), a transmembrane glycoprotein highly expressed in endothelial cells (ECs), is a potent anticoagulant maintaining circulation homeostasis. Under inflammatory states, TM expression is drastically reduced in ECs while vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) show a robust expression of TM. The functional role of TM in VSMCs remains elusive.    Methods  We examined the role of TM in VSMCs activities in human aortic VSMCs stimulated with platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB). Using rat embryonic aorta-derived A7r5 VSMCs which do not express TM, the role of the chondroitin sulfate (CS) moiety of TM in VSMCs was delineated with cells expressing wild-type TM and the CS-devoid TM mutant.    Results  Expression of TM enhanced cell migration and adhesion/spreading onto type I collagen, but had no effect on cell proliferation. Knocking down TM with short hairpin RNA reduced PDGF-stimulated adhesion and migration of human aortic VSMCs. In A7r5 cells, TM-mediated cell adhesion was eradicated by pretreatment with chondroitinase ABC which degrades CS moiety. Furthermore, the TM mutant (TM S490, 492A ) devoid of CS moiety failed to increase cell adhesion, spreading or migration. Wild-type TM, but not TM S490, 492A , increased focal adhesion kinase (FAK) activation during cell adhesion, and TM-enhanced cell migration was abolished by a function-blocking anti-integrin β 1  antibody.    Conclusion  Chondroitin sulfate modification is required for TM-mediated activation of β 1 -integrin and FAK, thereby enhancing adhesion and migration activity of VSMCs.    Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (10.1186/s12929-018-0415-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The chondroitin sulfate moiety mediates thrombomodulin-enhanced adhesion and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells