Vascular smooth muscle-specific YAP/TAZ deletion triggers aneurysm development in mouse aorta.

ABSTRACT: Inadequate adaption to mechanical forces, including blood pressure, contributes to development of arterial aneurysms. Recent studies have pointed to a mechanoprotective role of YAP and TAZ in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Here, we identified reduced expression of YAP1 in human aortic aneurysms. Vascular SMC-specific knockouts (KOs) of YAP/TAZ were thus generated using the integrin α8-Cre (Itga8-Cre) mouse model (i8-YT-KO). i8-YT-KO mice spontaneously developed aneurysms in the abdominal aorta within 2 weeks of KO induction and in smaller arteries at later times. The vascular specificity of Itga8-Cre circumvented gastrointestinal effects. Aortic aneurysms were characterized by elastin disarray, SMC apoptosis, and accumulation of proteoglycans and immune cell populations. RNA sequenci

SUBMITTER: Arevalo Martinez M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10544211 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature