title: Rho kinase proteins regulate global miRNA expression in endothelial cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Therapeutic targeting of Rho-Associated, Coiled-Coil Containing Protein Kinase (ROCK) signaling for tumor cells and tumor endothelium has shown efficacy in pre-clinical tumors models, and a better understanding of how proteins regulate tumor progression will strengthen our knowledge over disease etiology and treatment of patients with cancer. Recent reports have shown that ROCK activity is critical for the expression of a large number of mRNA transcripts across multiple cell types including endothelial cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  To examine the effects of ROCK proteins on microRNA (miRNA) expression in tumor-forming endothelial cells, we utilized microarrays to evaluate expression levels of 1088 miRNAs in vascular tumor-forming endothelial cells knocked-down for ROCK1 or ROCK2 or treated with a pharmacological inhibitor of ROCK activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Microarray analysis demonstrated that inhibiting ROCK activity altered global miRNA expression. We confirmed our findings using qPCR and identified cell-cycle progression, calcium transport, and neurogenesis/synaptogenesis as the most highly overrepresented predicted target gene networks for the identified miRNAs whose expression was altered by ROCK inhibition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ROCK signaling induces large-scale changes in global miRNA expression and may lead to a better understanding of how these proteins affect aberrant vascular states.
authors: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, 5001 El Paso Drive, MSB1 Room 2111, El Paso, Texas 79905 U.S.A. brad.bryan@ttuhsc.edu.
authors: Jessica M
authors: JM
authors: Stiles
authors: Vittal
authors: V
authors: Kurisetty
authors: Dianne C
authors: DC
authors: Mitchell
authors: Brad A
authors: BA
authors: Bryan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D051379:Mice; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014162:Transfection; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C515854:Rock1 protein, mouse; C515855:Rock2 protein, mouse; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases
keywords: ROCK; Rho kinase; angiogenesis; endothelial cell; miRNA; microarrays; shRNA; tumor vasculature