GSE106991
RNA-seq analysis of human expandable arterial endothelial precursors (eAEPs), expandable mesenchymal precursors (eMPs), and controls
The following is an excerpt from the abstract of Miller et al. In this study, we find that two transcription factors, MYCN and SOX17, enable the indefinite propagation of human endothelial arterial precursors in vitro (“expandable arterial endothelial precursors,” eAEPs). Independent eAEP lines differ in their proclivity to undergo an endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT), a hallmark event in a broad array of vascular diseases and disorders. Some lines spontaneously become mesenchymal over time in culture, an effect exacerbated by inhibition of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptor, while others do not readily convert. These distinctions were exploited to identify genes that correlate with resistance to an EndoMT and to elucidate transcriptional changes that underpin the transition. We believe the eAEPs may be useful not only as tractable tools for biological or pathological studies, but also as platforms for drug discovery. Overall design: Examination of eAEPs and eMPs, their mature progeny, and control vascular cells by RNA-seq.