Pj. Adam et al., EXPRESSION OF ENDOGLIN MESSENGER-RNA AND PROTEIN IN HUMAN VASCULAR SMOOTH-MUSCLE CELLS, Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 247(1), 1998, pp. 33-37
Endoglin, the gene linked to the autosomal dominant vascular disorder
hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia type 1 (HHT1), encodes a 95-kDa
membrane-bound proteoglycan which binds TGF beta 1 and regulates signa
ling via the type I and II TGF beta receptors on the surface of vascul
ar endothelial cells. Using reverse-transcription polymerase chain rea
ction (RT-PCR) and Northern blot analysis we have shown that endoglin
mRNA is expressed in both cultured human VSMCs and VSMCs freshly isola
ted from human aortas. Northern blot analysis was also used to demonst
rate that endoglin expression decreased in serum-stimulated cultured h
uman VSMCs but could be maintained by exogenous TGF beta 1. Endoglin p
rotein expression in human VSMCs was shown by immunocytochemistry. The
se data, the first describing the existence of endoglin in VSMCs, sugg
est that through regulating TGF beta 1 signaling endoglin may mediate
the effects of TGF beta 1 on VSMC behavior in vitro and in vivo. (C) 1
998 Academic Press.