title: Analysis of hypoxia-induced noncoding RNAs reveals metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 as an important regulator of vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation.
abstract: Vascular remodeling, a pathogenic hallmark in pulmonary hypertension, is mainly driven by a dysbalance between proliferation and apoptosis of human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. It has previously been shown that microRNAs are involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension. However, the role of long noncoding RNAs has not been evaluated. long noncoding RNA expression was quantified in human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells using PCR arrays and quantitative PCR. Knockdown of genes was performed by transfection of siRNA or GapmeR. Proliferation and migration were measured using BrdU incorporation and wound healing assays. The mouse model of hypoxia-induced PH was used to determine the physiological meaning of identified long noncoding RNAs. The expression of 84 selected long noncoding RNAs was assessed in hypoxic human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells and the levels of metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) were significantly increased. Depletion of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α abolished the hypoxia-induced upregulation of metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 expression. Silencing of MALAT1 significantly decreased proliferation and migration of human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. In vivo, MALAT1 expression was significantly increased in lungs of hypoxic mice. Of note, targeting of MALAT1 by GapmeR ameliorated heart hypertrophy in mice with pulmonary hypertension. This is the first report on functional characterization of MALAT1 in the pulmonary vasculature. Our data provide evidence that MALAT1 expression is significantly increased by hypoxia, probably by hypoxia-inducible factor 1α. Intervention experiments confirmed that MALAT1 regulates the proliferative phenotype of smooth muscle cells and silencing of MALAT1 reduced heart hypertrophy in mice with pulmonary hypertension. These data indicate a potential role of MALAT1 in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension. Impact statement Metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) is a long noncoding RNA that mediates several biological processes. In the context of vascular biology, MALAT1 has been shown to be inducible by hypoxia and to control cell proliferation. These processes are of major importance for the pathophysiology of hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH). Until now, the physiological role of MALAT1 in PH remains unclear. By using smooth muscle cells and by employing an established PH mouse model, we provide evidence that hypoxia induces MALAT1 expression. Moreover, depletion of MALAT1 inhibited migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells, probably by the induction of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors. Of note, MALAT1 was significantly increased in mice exposed to hypoxia and silencing of MALAT1 ameliorated heart hypertrophy in mice with hypoxia-induced PH. Since vascular remodeling and right heart failure as a consequence of pulmonary pressure overload is a major problem in PH, these data have implications for our pathogenetic understanding.
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8091, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brock
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8091, Switzerland.|2 Institute of Veterinary Physiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schuoler
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8091, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leuenberger
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8091, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bühlmann
authors.affiliation: 2 Institute of Veterinary Physiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland.|3 Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Haider
authors.affiliation: 2 Institute of Veterinary Physiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland.|3 Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8091, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ulrich
authors.affiliation: 2 Institute of Veterinary Physiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland.|3 Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gassmann
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8091, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Malcolm
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kohler
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8091, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lars C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Huber
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000166:cytology; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding / Q000502:physiology*; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000502:physiology*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: C557041:MALAT1 long non-coding RNA, human; C557040:Malat1 long non-coding RNA, mouse; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; D022661:RNA, Untranslated
keywords: Hypoxia; Metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1; long noncoding RNA; proliferation; pulmonary hypertension; pulmonary vascular biology; remodeling