Angiotensin II induces myocyte enhancer factor 2- and calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cell-dependent transcriptional activation in vascular myocytes.

Abstract

It is well known that angiotensin II (Ang II) is implicated in the phenotypic modulation and hypertrophy of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). To study the mechanisms by which Ang II contributes to the pathological changes of VSMCs, we examined whether Ang II stimulated myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2)- and calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cell (NFAT)-dependent transcriptional activation of genes in VSMCs. Ang II increased the DNA binding activity of MEF2A and its expression at the protein level. Ang II induced c-jun promoter activity, and this increase was inhibited by dominant-negative mutants of MEF2A and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 6 but not by calcineurin inhibitors. Ang II stimulated NFAT DNA binding activity and NFAT-dependent gene transcription, and these effects of Ang II were inhibited by calcineurin inhibitors. Furthermore, Ang II induced the promoter activity of the nonmuscle-type myosin heavy chain B gene, which we used as a marker of the dedifferentiated state of VSMCs, and this increase was inhibited by calcineurin inhibitors but not by the dominant-negative mutants of MEF2A or mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 6. Finally, Ang II increased protein synthesis, and this increase was inhibited by infection with an adenovirus construct that expresses the dominant-negative mutant of MEF2A but not by calcineurin inhibitors. These results suggest that Ang II stimulates the MEF2- and calcineurin/NFAT-dependent pathways and that these pathways have distinct roles in VSMCs.

• Authors: Etsu Suzuki, Hiroaki Nishimatsu, Hiroshi Satonaka, Kenneth Walsh, Atsuo Goto, Masao Omata, Toshiro Fujita, Ryozo Nagai, Yasunobu Hirata
• Journal: Circulation research (Circ Res) Vol. 90 Issue 9 Pg. 1004-11 (May 17 2002) ISSN: 1524-4571 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 12016267 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• DNA-Binding Proteins
• MADS Domain Proteins
• MEF2 Transcription Factors
• MEF2A protein, human
• Myogenic Regulatory Factors
• NFATC Transcription Factors
• Nuclear Proteins
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun
• Transcription Factors
• Angiotensin II
• DNA
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
• p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
• Calcineurin
• Myosin Heavy Chains

Topics

• Angiotensin II (pharmacology)
• Animals
• Calcineurin (genetics, metabolism)
• Cells, Cultured
• DNA (metabolism)
• DNA-Binding Proteins (genetics, metabolism)
• Gene Expression Regulation (drug effects)
• Humans
• MADS Domain Proteins
• MEF2 Transcription Factors
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (metabolism)
• Muscle, Smooth, Vascular (cytology, drug effects, metabolism)
• Myogenic Regulatory Factors
• Myosin Heavy Chains (genetics)
• NFATC Transcription Factors
• Nuclear Proteins
• Protein Binding (drug effects)
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun (genetics)
• Transcription Factors (genetics, metabolism)
• Transcription, Genetic
• p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases