Smoothelin in vascular smooth muscle cells.
Smoothelin-A and -B have only been found in fully differentiated contractile smooth muscle cells. They are increasingly used to monitor the smooth muscle cell differentiation process to a contractile or synthetic phenotype. Vascular-specific smoothelin-B is the first smooth muscle cell marker that disappears when vascular tissues are compromised, for example, in atherosclerosis or restenosis. Recently obtained data show that smoothelin deficiency results in a considerable loss of contractile potential and hence in impaired smooth muscle function and suggest that smoothelins are part of the contractile apparatus.
van Eys
Guillaume J
GJ
Department of Molecular Genetics, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, University of Maastricht, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. g.vaneys@gen.unimaas.nl
Niessen
Petra M
PM
Rensen
Sander S
SS
D000818:Animals; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000502:physiology*
D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; C100762:SMTN protein, human