Slight up-regulation of Kir2.1 channel promotes endothelial progenitor cells to transdifferentiate into a pericyte phenotype by Akt/mTOR/Snail pathway.

ABSTRACT: It was shown that endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have bidirectional differentiation potential and thus perform different biological functions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of slight up-regulation of the Kir2.1 channel on EPC transdifferentiation and the potential mechanism on cell function and transformed cell type. First, we found that the slight up-regulation of Kir2.1 expression promoted the expression of the stem cell stemness factors ZFX and NS and inhibited the expression of senescence-associated β-galactosidase. Further studies showed the slightly increased expression of Kir2.1 could also improve the expression of pericyte molecular markers NG2, PDGFRβ and Desmin. Moreover, adenovirus-mediated Kir2.1 overexpression had an enhanced contractile respons

SUBMITTER: Cui X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8572793 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature