In:
Blood, American Society of Hematology, Vol. 102, No. 8 ( 2003-10-15), p. 2803-2810
Abstract:
Recent suppressive subtractive hybridization analysis on human atherosclerotic plaque-derived RNA revealed genes upregulated in plaques with a thrombus versus stable plaques. Clone SSH6, containing part of a putative open reading frame of an unknown protein, was further investigated. Full-length cDNA, coding for a 473–amino acid (aa) protein, was identified in a vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) cDNA library. Bioinformatics suggested the presence of multiple SSH6 variants due to alternative splicing of exon 3. Multiple-tissue Northern blot analysis demonstrated a differential expression pattern of these variants, as a ubiquitously expressed SSH6 mRNA missing exon 3, was detected apart from a putative vascular SMC–specific form containing exon 3. Western blot analysis indicated a ubiquitous 35-kDa protein (SSH6-β), in addition to a 45-kDa protein (vasculin), detected in the vascular wall and in plasma. Analysis of arteries displaying various stages of atherosclerosis indicated that the vasculin/SSH6-β ratio increases throughout atherogenesis. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated cytoplasmic expression of SSH6 gene products in macrophages, endothelial cells, and SMCs. In summary, we identified a novel mRNA/protein, vasculin, in the arterial wall and plasma. The regulated expression of vasculin in plaques suggests a role in atherogenesis. Moreover, its presence in plasma opens perspectives for vasculin as a marker for atherosclerosis.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0006-4971
,
1528-0020
DOI:
10.1182/blood-2003-01-0306
Language:
English
Publisher:
American Society of Hematology
Publication Date:
2003
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1468538-3
detail.hit.zdb_id:
80069-7
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