Heart Protein Regulates Blood Vessel Maintenance
- Date:
- May 14, 2009
- Source:
- Tufts University, Health Sciences
- Summary:
- Researchers have identified a protein that regulates the physical state of blood vessels. The biochemical processes involved in this regulation are important in the study of cardiovascular health.
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In a study led by Akiko Hata, PhD, of Tufts University School of Medicine, researchers have shown that a protein expressed in the heart, FHL2, inhibits the genes necessary for the quiescence of vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs), which line blood vessels. Vascular smooth muscle cells undergo a process in diseases such as atherosclerosis or normal tissue damage caused by balloon angioplasty where they transition between a resting and proliferative state.
The ability to transition between the two states is necessary for the normal development of blood vessels, regulating blood pressure, and repairing vessels that suffer from injury.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Tufts University, Health Sciences. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Neuman et al. The Four-and-a-half LIM Domain Protein 2 Regulates Vascular Smooth Muscle Phenotype and Vascular Tone. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2009; 284 (19): 13202 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M900282200
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