Lumin Wang1, Jiayi Yao2, Tongtong Yu3, Daoqin Zhang2, Xiaojing Qiao2, Zehao Yao4, Xiuju Wu2, Li Zhang2, Kristina I Boström5, Yucheng Yao6. 1. Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, China; Division of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1679, USA. 2. Division of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1679, USA. 3. Division of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1679, USA; Department of Cardiology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China. 4. Division of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1679, USA; College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China. 5. Division of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1679, USA; The Molecular Biology Institute at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1570, USA. Electronic address: kbostrom@mednet.ucla.edu. 6. Division of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1679, USA. Electronic address: yyao@mednet.ucla.edu.
Abstract
AIMS: Several signaling pathways contribute to endothelial-mesenchymal transitions and vascular calcification, including bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and transforming growth factor (TGF) β signaling. The transcription factor homeobox D3 (Hoxd3) is known to regulate an invasive endothelial phenotype, and the aim of the study is to determine if HOXD3 modulates BMP and TGFβ signaling in the endothelium. METHODS AND RESEARCH: We report that the endothelium with high BMP activity due to the loss of BMP inhibitor matrix Gla protein (MGP) shows induction of Hoxd3. HOXD3 is part of a BMP-triggered cascade. When activated by BMP9, activin receptor-like kinase (ALK) 1 induces HOXD3 expression. Hoxd3 promoter is a direct target of phosphorylated (p) SMAD1, a mediator of BMP signaling. High BMP activity further results in enhanced TGFβ signaling due to induction of TGFβ1 and its receptor, ALK5. This is mediated by HOXD3, which directly targets the Tgfb1 promoter. Finally, TGFβ1 and BMP9 stimulate the expression of MGP, which limits the enhanced ALK1 induction by counteracting BMP4. The cascade of BMP9-HOXD3-TGFβ also affects Notch signaling and angiogenesis through induction of Notch ligand Jagged 2 and suppression of Notch ligand delta-like 4 (Dll4). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that HOXD3 is a novel link between BMP9/ALK1 and TGFβ1/ALK5 signaling. TRANSLATIONAL PERSPECTIVE: BMP and TGFβ signaling are instrumental in vascular disease such as vascular calcification and atherosclerosis. This study demonstrated a novel type of cross talk between endothelial BMP and TGFβ signaling as mediated by HOXD3. The results provide a possible therapeutic approach to control dysfunctional BMP and TGFβ signaling by regulating HOXD3.
AIMS: Several signaling pathways contribute to endothelial-mesenchymal transitions and vascular calcification, including bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and transforming growth factor (TGF) β signaling. The transcription factor homeobox D3 (Hoxd3) is known to regulate an invasive endothelial phenotype, and the aim of the study is to determine if HOXD3 modulates BMP and TGFβ signaling in the endothelium. METHODS AND RESEARCH: We report that the endothelium with high BMP activity due to the loss of BMP inhibitor matrix Gla protein (MGP) shows induction of Hoxd3. HOXD3 is part of a BMP-triggered cascade. When activated by BMP9, activin receptor-like kinase (ALK) 1 induces HOXD3 expression. Hoxd3 promoter is a direct target of phosphorylated (p) SMAD1, a mediator of BMP signaling. High BMP activity further results in enhanced TGFβ signaling due to induction of TGFβ1 and its receptor, ALK5. This is mediated by HOXD3, which directly targets the Tgfb1 promoter. Finally, TGFβ1 and BMP9 stimulate the expression of MGP, which limits the enhanced ALK1 induction by counteracting BMP4. The cascade of BMP9-HOXD3-TGFβ also affects Notch signaling and angiogenesis through induction of Notch ligand Jagged 2 and suppression of Notch ligand delta-like 4 (Dll4). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that HOXD3 is a novel link between BMP9/ALK1 and TGFβ1/ALK5 signaling. TRANSLATIONAL PERSPECTIVE: BMP and TGFβ signaling are instrumental in vascular disease such as vascular calcification and atherosclerosis. This study demonstrated a novel type of cross talk between endothelial BMP and TGFβ signaling as mediated by HOXD3. The results provide a possible therapeutic approach to control dysfunctionalBMP and TGFβ signaling by regulating HOXD3.
Authors: Yucheng Yao; Jiayi Yao; Melina Radparvar; Ana M Blazquez-Medela; Pierre J Guihard; Medet Jumabay; Kristina I Boström Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2013-11-04 Impact factor: 11.205