title: 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.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. suzuki-2im@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Etsu
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishimatsu
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Satonaka
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Atsuo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Omata
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Ryozo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Yasunobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirata
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D019703:Calcineurin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D064326:MEF2 Transcription Factors; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D064326:MEF2 Transcription Factors; C578035:MEF2A protein, human; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000804:Angiotensin II; D004247:DNA; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D019703:Calcineurin; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains