Serine Protease Activation Essential for Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Vascular Calcification.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Endothelial cells have the ability to undergo endothelial-mesenchymal transitions (EndMTs), by which they acquire a mesenchymal phenotype and stem cell-like characteristics. We previously found that EndMTs occurred in the endothelium deficient in matrix γ-carboxyglutamic acid protein enabling endothelial cells to contribute cells to vascular calcification. However, the mechanism responsible for initiating EndMTs is not fully understood.

Objective

To determine the role of specific serine proteases and sex determining region Y-box 2 (Sox2) in the initiation of EndMTs.

Methods and results

In this study, we used in vivo and in vitro models of vascular calcification to demonstrate that serine proteases and Sox2 are essential for the initiation of EndMTs in matrix

SUBMITTER: Yao J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4600461 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature