Bijnens APJJ, Gils A, Jutten B, Faber BCG, Heeneman S, Kitslaar PJEHM, Tordoir JHM, de Vries CJM, Kroon AA, Daemen MJAP, Cleutjens KBJM. Vasculin, a novel vascular protein differentially expressed in human atherogenesis.
Blood 2003;
102:2803-10. [PMID:
12842993 DOI:
10.1182/blood-2003-01-0306]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent suppressive subtractive hybridization analysis on human atherosclerotic plaque-derived RNA revealed genes upregulated in plaques with a thrombus versus stable plaques. Clone SSH6, containing part of a putative open reading frame of an unknown protein, was further investigated. Full-length cDNA, coding for a 473-amino acid (aa) protein, was identified in a vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) cDNA library. Bioinformatics suggested the presence of multiple SSH6 variants due to alternative splicing of exon 3. Multiple-tissue Northern blot analysis demonstrated a differential expression pattern of these variants, as a ubiquitously expressed SSH6 mRNA missing exon 3, was detected apart from a putative vascular SMC-specific form containing exon 3. Western blot analysis indicated a ubiquitous 35-kDa protein (SSH6-beta), in addition to a 45-kDa protein (vasculin), detected in the vascular wall and in plasma. Analysis of arteries displaying various stages of atherosclerosis indicated that the vasculin/SSH6-beta ratio increases throughout atherogenesis. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated cytoplasmic expression of SSH6 gene products in macrophages, endothelial cells, and SMCs. In summary, we identified a novel mRNA/protein, vasculin, in the arterial wall and plasma. The regulated expression of vasculin in plaques suggests a role in atherogenesis. Moreover, its presence in plasma opens perspectives for vasculin as a marker for atherosclerosis.
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