Effect of a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma sumoylation mutant on neointimal formation after balloon injury in rats.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) is a nuclear receptor regulating inflammation, atherosclerosis, insulin sensitivity and adipogenesis. Recently, it has been discovered that modification by the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) plays an important role in PPARgamma activity. In the present study, we investigated the effect of sumoylation on the antiatherogenic property of PPARgamma. PPARgamma-K107R sumoylation mutant, PPARgamma-wild type (WT) and control genes were transfected on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to compare their effect on the proliferation and migration. Adenoviral vectors expressing the PPARgamma-K107R, PPARgamma-WT or control gene were delivered into the carotid arteries of rats after balloon injury. The PPARgamma-K107R increased the transcriptional activity of peroxisome proliferator response element (PPRE) and had a more potent transcriptional repression activity on the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) promoter as compared to the other sumoylation mutants or WT. PPARgamma-K107R or WT gene transfer inhibited VSMCs proliferation and migration to a greater extent than the control. The PPARgamma-K107R had more potent activity than PPARgamma-WT in this regard. PPARgamma-K107R or WT transfer showed a significantly lower intima-media ratio (IMR) than the control after balloon injury in rats. Again, the delivery of the PPARgamma-K107R decreased IMR further compared to PPARgamma-WT. In addition, the PPARgamma-K107R transfer showed a lower proliferation index and a higher apoptotic index than PPARgamma-WT. In conclusion, the PPARgamma sumoylation mutant K107R strongly inhibited VSMCs proliferation and migration, sustained apoptosis, and reduced neointimal formation after balloon injury. These results indicate that desumoylation at K107 in PPARgamma might play an important role against atherosclerosis.