The cardiomyocyte protein αT-catenin contributes to asthma through regulating pulmonary vein inflammation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Recent genome-wide association studies have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms in the gene encoding the protein αT-catenin (CTNNA3) that correlate with both steroid-resistant atopic asthma and asthmatic exacerbations. α-Catenins are important mediators of cell-cell adhesion, and αT-catenin is predominantly expressed in cardiomyocytes. In the lung αT-catenin appears to be exclusively expressed in cardiomyocytes surrounding the pulmonary veins (PVs), but its contribution to atopic asthma remains unknown.

Objective

We sought to understand the role of αT-catenin in asthma pathogenesis.

Methods

We used αT-catenin knockout mice and a house dust mite (HDM) extract model of atopic asthma, with assessment by means of forced oscillation, bronchoalveolar lavag

SUBMITTER: Folmsbee SS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4931945 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature