Increased myosin light chain kinase expression in hypertension: Regulation by serum response factor via an insertion mutation in the promoter.

ABSTRACT: Regulation of gene transcription in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) by serum response factor (SRF) plays a crucial role in vascular development and in the pathophysiology of vascular diseases. Nevertheless, the regulation of specific genes by SRF in vascular diseases is poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated the regulation of smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase (smMLCK) by using spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) as an experimental model. We found that smMLCK expression in blood vessels increases during the development of hypertension and is always greater in blood vessels from SHR compared with normotensive rats. Analysis of the DNA sequences of the promoters isolated from SHR and normotensive rats revealed that SHR contain a 12-base pair insertion adjacent to the CArG

SUBMITTER: Han YJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1593173 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature