Identification and characterization of vascular calcification-associated factor, a novel gene upregulated during vascular calcification in vitro and in vivo.
OBJECTIVE
Vascular calcification, with its increasing clinical sequelae, presents an important and unresolved dilemma in cardiac and vascular practice. We aimed to identify molecules involved in this process to develop strategies for treatment or prevention.


RESULTS
Using subtractive hybridization, a novel cDNA, designated vascular calcification-associated factor (VCAF), has been isolated from a bovine retinal pericyte cDNA library generated during the differentiation and mineralization of these cells in vitro. RNA ligase-mediated rapid amplification of cDNA ends was used to compile the 740-bp bovine cDNA sequence. Database searching reveals that VCAF has novel nucleotide/amino acid sequences. RNA analysis confirms that VCAF is upregulated in mineralized pericytes and is present in human calcified arteries but not noncalcified arteries. Protein analysis using a VCAF antibody confirms the presence of an 18-kDa protein in calcified nodules but not in confluent pericytes. Adenoviral antisense VCAF gene delivery reduces VCAF protein levels and accelerates pericyte differentiation compared with controls.


CONCLUSIONS
We demonstrate the isolation of a novel gene, VCAF, which is upregulated during vascular calcification in vitro and in vivo. Antisense VCAF gene delivery accelerates pericyte differentiation, implicating a role for VCAF in this clinically significant pathological process.
Department of Cardiac and Endocrine Science, University of Manchester, United Kingdom. yvonne.alexander@manchester.ac.uk
M Yvonne
MY
Alexander
Fiona L
FL
Wilkinson
John Paul
JP
Kirton
Claire Farrington
CF
Rock
Georgina D M
GD
Collett
Maria
M
Jeziorska
J Vincent
JV
Smyth
Anthony M
AM
Heagerty
Ann E
AE
Canfield
D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002417:Cattle; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016373:DNA, Antisense; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D015870:Gene Expression; D015723:Gene Library; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D020286:Pericytes / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015854:Up-Regulation; D051863:Host Cell Factor C1
D016373:DNA, Antisense; D011506:Proteins; C506716:vascular calcification-associated factor, Bos taurus; C497692:HCFC1 protein, human; D051863:Host Cell Factor C1