KLF4-PFKFB3-driven glycolysis is essential for phenotypic switching of vascular smooth muscle cells

ABSTRACT: Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) within atherosclerotic lesions undergo a phenotypic switching in a KLF4-dependent manner. Glycolysis plays important roles in transdifferentiation of somatic cells, however, it is unclear whether and how KLF4 mediates the link between glycolytic switch and VSMCs phenotypic transitions. Here, we show that KLF4 upregulation accompanies VSMCs phenotypic switching in atherosclerotic lesions. KLF4 enhances the metabolic switch to glycolysis through increasing PFKFB3 expression. Inhibiting glycolysis suppresses KLF4-induced VSMCs phenotypic switching, demonstrating that glycolytic shift is required for VSMCs phenotypic switching. Mechanistically, KLF4 upregulates expression of circCTDP1 and eEF1A2, both of which cooperatively promote PFKFB3 expression. TMAO induces glycolytic shift and VSMCs phenotypic switching by upregulating KLF4. Our study indicates that KLF4 mediates the link between glycolytic switch and VSMCs phenotypic transitions, suggesting that a previously unrecognized KLF4-eEF1A2/circCTDP1-PFKFB3 axis plays crucial roles in VSMCs phenotypic switching.

ORGANISM(S): Homo Sapiens

SUBMITTER: Xinhua Zhang  

PROVIDER: PXD038057 | iProX | Wed Nov 09 00:00:00 GMT 2022

REPOSITORIES: iProX