title: NFAT regulation in smooth muscle.
abstract: First identified in activated T cells, the calcium (Ca2+)-dependent transcription factor, nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT), has since been shown to play a role in nonimmune cells, including cells of the cardiovascular system. In arterial smooth muscle, the diverse array of calcium-signaling modalities, the functional interplay between smooth muscle and endothelial cells, and the influence of intravascular pressure on calcium and other signaling pathways creates a calcium-regulatory environment that is arguably unique. This review focuses on mechanisms that control the initial Ca2+/calcineurin-dependent events in NFAT activation, with a particular emphasis on NFAT regulation in native vascular smooth muscle. Also addressed is the role of additional mechanisms that act to modulate calcineurin-dependent NFAT nuclear import/export, mechanisms that may have particular relevance in this tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Vermont, 89 Beaumont Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, USA.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Hill-Eubanks
authors.forename: Maria F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.forename: Andra S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: Mark T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000503:physiopathology; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000166:cytology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology*; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors