Genetic influence on vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis.

ABSTRACT: Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation, migration, and apoptosis play important roles in many physiological processes and pathological conditions. To identify genetic influences on VSMC behavior, we measured these traits and undertook genome-wide association studies in primary umbilical artery-derived VSMCs from >2000 individuals. Although there were no genome-wide significant associations for VSMC proliferation or migration, genetic variants at two genomic loci (7p15.3 and 7q32.3) showed highly significant associations with VSMC apoptosis (P = 1.95 × 10^-13 and P = 7.47 × 10^-9, respectively). The lead variant at the 7p51.3 locus was associated with increased expression of the GSDME and PALS2 genes in VSMCs. Knockdown of GSDME or PALS2 in VSMCs attenuated apo

SUBMITTER: McVey DG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11162461 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature