MK2 is activated in monocytes recruited to collateral arteries and mediates MCP-1 induced monocyte migration.

<p>A, Primary murine monocytes isolated from WT mice were stimulated with MCP-1 (10 ng/ml) or LPS (100ng/ml) for the indicated times and activation of MK2 was determined by immunoblotting for phospho-MK2. Representative blots of two independent experiments each employing monocyte isolations from 3 different mice are shown. B, Primary murine monocytes isolated from WT and MK2KO were given into the upper chamber of a transwell cell culture dish and number of cells migrated towards MCP-1 (10 ng/ml) in the lower chamber was quantified after 24 h and normalized to the total number of cells given into the upper chamber (migration-index). #<i>p</i>< 0.05 control vs. MCP-1, *<i>p</i>< 0.05 WT vs. MK2KO, n = 5). C, after hind limb ischemia (6 h after arterial ligation) sections of collateral arteries from the ischemic limb of WT mice were stained for activated phospho-MK2 and analyzed by fluorescence laser scanning confocal microscopy (phospho-MK2, green; endothelial cells, red, CD31; nuclear staining, blue, DAPI). Representative stainings of at least 3 different experiments are shown.