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Wardman R, Keles M, Pachkiv I, Hemanna S, Grein S, Schwarz J, Stein F, Ola R, Dobreva G, Hentze MW, Heineke J. RNA-Binding Proteins Regulate Post-Transcriptional Responses to TGF-β to Coordinate Function and Mesenchymal Activation of Murine Endothelial Cells. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2023; 43:1967-1989. [PMID: 37650327 PMCID: PMC10521797 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.123.319925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endothelial cells (ECs) are primed to respond to various signaling cues. For example, TGF (transforming growth factor)-β has major effects on EC function and phenotype by driving ECs towards a more mesenchymal state (ie, triggering endothelial to mesenchymal activation), a dynamic process associated with cardiovascular diseases. Although transcriptional regulation triggered by TGF-β in ECs is well characterized, post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms induced by TGF-β remain largely unknown. METHODS Using RNA interactome capture, we identified global TGF-β driven changes in RNA-binding proteins in ECs. We investigated specific changes in the RNA-binding patterns of hnRNP H1 (heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein H1) and Csde1 (cold shock domain containing E1) using RNA immunoprecipitation and overlapped this with RNA-sequencing data after knockdown of either protein for functional insight. Using a modified proximity ligation assay, we visualized the specific interactions between hnRNP H1 and Csde1 and target RNAs in situ both in vitro and in mouse heart sections. RESULTS Characterization of TGF-β-regulated RBPs (RNA-binding proteins) revealed hnRNP H1 and Csde1 as key regulators of the cellular response to TGF-β at the post-transcriptional level, with loss of either protein-promoting mesenchymal activation in ECs. We found that TGF-β drives an increase in binding of hnRNP H1 to its target RNAs, offsetting mesenchymal activation, but a decrease in Csde1 RNA-binding, facilitating this process. Both, hnRNP H1 and Csde1, dynamically bind and regulate specific subsets of mRNAs related to mesenchymal activation and endothelial function. CONCLUSIONS Together, we show that RBPs play a key role in the endothelial response to TGF-β stimulation at the post-transcriptional level and that the RBPs hnRNP H1 and Csde1 serve to maintain EC function and counteract mesenchymal activation. We propose that TGF-β profoundly modifies RNA-protein interaction entailing feedback and feed-forward control at the post-transcriptional level, to fine-tune mesenchymal activation in ECs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhys Wardman
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology (R.W., M.K., I.P., S.H., S.G., J.H.), European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Heidelberg/Mannheim (R.W., M.K., S.H., S.G., G.D., J.H.)
| | - Merve Keles
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology (R.W., M.K., I.P., S.H., S.G., J.H.), European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Heidelberg/Mannheim (R.W., M.K., S.H., S.G., G.D., J.H.)
| | - Ihor Pachkiv
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology (R.W., M.K., I.P., S.H., S.G., J.H.), European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Shruthi Hemanna
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology (R.W., M.K., I.P., S.H., S.G., J.H.), European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Heidelberg/Mannheim (R.W., M.K., S.H., S.G., G.D., J.H.)
| | - Steve Grein
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology (R.W., M.K., I.P., S.H., S.G., J.H.), European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Heidelberg/Mannheim (R.W., M.K., S.H., S.G., G.D., J.H.)
| | - Jennifer Schwarz
- Proteomics Core Facility, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany (J.S., F.S.)
| | - Frank Stein
- Proteomics Core Facility, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany (J.S., F.S.)
| | - Roxana Ola
- Cardiovascular Pharmacology (R.O.), European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Gergana Dobreva
- Cardiovascular Genomics and Epigenomics (G.D.), European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Heidelberg/Mannheim (R.W., M.K., S.H., S.G., G.D., J.H.)
| | - Matthias W. Hentze
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany (M.W.H.)
| | - Joerg Heineke
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology (R.W., M.K., I.P., S.H., S.G., J.H.), European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Heidelberg/Mannheim (R.W., M.K., S.H., S.G., G.D., J.H.)
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Wardman R, Heineke J. See more with C-MORE: Addressing the need of robust cardiomyocyte morphological assessment. Cell Rep Med 2021; 2:100435. [PMID: 34841288 PMCID: PMC8606900 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2021.100435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Robust, comprehensive assessment of cardiomyocyte morphology is essential from research and clinical perspectives, but current methods predominantly rely on only limited parameters. Addressing this, Furkel et al. present, "C-MORE: A high content single cell morphology assay for cardiovascular medicine" in this issue of Cell Reports Medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhys Wardman
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology, European Center for Angioscience, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany
| | - Joerg Heineke
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology, European Center for Angioscience, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany
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