Project description:Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a fatal disease characterized by a proliferative endothelial cell phenotype, inflammation and pulmonary vascular remodeling. BMPR2 loss-of-function has been linked to pathologic plexiform lesions with obliteration of distal pulmonary arteries distal pulmonary arteries BMPR2 silencing inprimary human pulmonary artery ECs (HPAECs) recapitulate important aspects of cellular dysfunction and deregulated signaling associated with PAH. Primary HPAECs were transfected with gene-specific siRNA pools targeting BMPR2 or control siRNA followed PMA or control stimulation.
Project description:Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a fatal disease characterized by a proliferative endothelial cell phenotype, inflammation and pulmonary vascular remodeling. BMPR2 loss-of-function has been linked to pathologic plexiform lesions with obliteration of distal pulmonary arteries distal pulmonary arteries BMPR2 silencing inprimary human pulmonary artery ECs (HPAECs) recapitulate important aspects of cellular dysfunction and deregulated signaling associated with PAH.
Project description:Reduced bone morphogenetic protein receptor (BMPR)2 expression in patients with pulmonary arterial (PA) hypertension (PAH), can impair PA endothelial cell (EC) function. We now characterize, in human PAECs, a novel BMPR2-mediated transcriptionally active complex between peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma and beta-catenin (BC), and show that disruption of this complex impairs BMP mediated HPAEC survival. Using whole genome wide ChIP-Chip promoter analysis we delineate PPARG-BC dependent transcription of target genes that include apelin. Comparison of ppar-gamma and beta-catenin occupancy on promoter regions from human pulmonary artery endothelial cells after either treatment with BMP2 or control. A total of 8 samples were created using NimbleGen human HG18 promoter arrays.
Project description:To investiage the BMPR2 dependent effects of extracellular vesicle (EV) treatment, we compared the miRNA composition of EV derived from pulmonary arteerial endothelial cells after BMPR2 knockdown and 24 hours hypoxia.
Project description:Endothelial cells (EC) sense stimuli in the circulation and release responsive signaling molecules to coordinate the multicellular adaptations required to maintain vascular homeostasis. The goal of this study were to analyze the transcriptional changes induced by hypoxia in control donor pulmonary arterial endothelial cells and the effect of loss of BMPR2 that is associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Project description:Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease in which pulmonary arterial (PA) endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction is associated with unrepaired DNA damage. BMPR2 is the most common mutant gene in PAH. We report that human PAEC with reduced BMPR2 have persistent DNA damage in room air after hypoxic exposure (reoxygenation), as do mice with EC deletion of Bmpr2 (EC-Bmpr2-/-) and persistent pulmonary hypertension. Similar findings are observed in PAEC with loss of the DNA damage sensor ATM, and in mice with Atm deleted in EC (EC-Atm-/-). Gene expression analysis of EC-Atm-/- and EC-Bmpr2-/- lung EC revealed reduced Foxf1, a transcription factor with relative selectivity for lung EC. Reducing FOXF1 in control PAEC induced DNA damage and impaired angiogenesis whereas transfection of FOXF1 in PAH PAEC repaired DNA damage and restored angiogenesis. Lung EC targeted delivery of Foxf1 to reoxygenated EC-Bmpr2-/- mice repaired DNA damage, induced angiogenesis and reversed pulmonary hypertension.
Project description:Vascular remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) involves proliferation and migration of endothelial and smooth muscle cells, leading to obliterative vascular lesions. Previous studies have indicated that the endothelial cell proliferation is quasi-neoplastic, with evidence of monoclonality and instability of short DNA microsatellite sequences. To assess whether there is larger scale genomic instability, we performed genome-wide microarray copy number analysis on pulmonary artery endothelial (PAEC) and smooth muscle cells isolated from the lungs of PAH patients. Mosaic chromosomal abnormalities were detected in five of nine PAEC cultures from PAH lungs and zero of four controls. Fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis confirmed the presence of these abnormalities in vivo in two of three cases. One patient harbored a germline mutation of BMPR2, the primary genetic cause of PAH, and a somatic loss of chromosome-13, which constitutes a second hit in the same pathway by deleting Smad-8. In two female cases with mosaic loss of the X-chromosome, methylation analysis showed that the active X was deleted. Remarkably, one also showed completely skewed X-inactivation in the non-deleted cells, suggesting the PAEC population was clonal prior to the acquisition of the chromosome abnormality. Our data indicate a high frequency of genetically abnormal sub-clones within the lung vessels of patients with PAH and provide the first definitive evidence of a second genetic hit in a patient with a germline BMPR2 mutation. We propose that these chromosome abnormalities may confer a growth advantage and thus contribute to the progression of PAH. Cross-sectional study of genomic copy number in cells cultured from the lungs of PAH patients.
Project description:To identify CLIC4 effectors by studying proteins expressiosn altered by CLIC4 overexpression in human pulmonary artery endothelial cells.
Project description:Vascular remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) involves proliferation and migration of endothelial and smooth muscle cells, leading to obliterative vascular lesions. Previous studies have indicated that the endothelial cell proliferation is quasi-neoplastic, with evidence of monoclonality and instability of short DNA microsatellite sequences. To assess whether there is larger scale genomic instability, we performed genome-wide microarray copy number analysis on pulmonary artery endothelial (PAEC) and smooth muscle cells isolated from the lungs of PAH patients. Mosaic chromosomal abnormalities were detected in five of nine PAEC cultures from PAH lungs and zero of four controls. Fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis confirmed the presence of these abnormalities in vivo in two of three cases. One patient harbored a germline mutation of BMPR2, the primary genetic cause of PAH, and a somatic loss of chromosome-13, which constitutes a second hit in the same pathway by deleting Smad-8. In two female cases with mosaic loss of the X-chromosome, methylation analysis showed that the active X was deleted. Remarkably, one also showed completely skewed X-inactivation in the non-deleted cells, suggesting the PAEC population was clonal prior to the acquisition of the chromosome abnormality. Our data indicate a high frequency of genetically abnormal sub-clones within the lung vessels of patients with PAH and provide the first definitive evidence of a second genetic hit in a patient with a germline BMPR2 mutation. We propose that these chromosome abnormalities may confer a growth advantage and thus contribute to the progression of PAH. Cross-sectional study of genomic copy number in cells cultured from the lungs of PAH patients. This study used three Affy SNP chip types: 250kNSP, 250kSTY, and 6.0