Heterogeneous Cellular Contributions to Elastic Laminae Formation in Arterial Wall Development.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Elastin is an important ECM (extracellular matrix) protein in large and small arteries. Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) produce the layered elastic laminae found in elastic arteries but synthesize little elastin in muscular arteries. However, muscular arteries have a well-defined internal elastic lamina (IEL) that separates endothelial cells (ECs) from SMCs. The extent to which ECs contribute elastin to the IEL is unknown.

Objective

To use targeted elastin (Eln) deletion in mice to explore the relative contributions of SMCs and ECs to elastic laminae formation in different arteries.

Methods and results

We used SMC- and EC-specific Cre recombinase transgenes with a novel floxed Eln allele to focus gene inactivation in mice. Inactivation of <

SUBMITTER: Lin CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7017653 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature