Protein Interactions Regulate Smooth Muscle Development

Researchers into the molecular mechanisms that govern development have identified a mechanism that controls both normal and abnormal growth of smooth muscle.

Previous studies had shown that serum response factor (SRF) activated genes involved in smooth muscle differentiation and proliferation by recruiting muscle-restricted cofactors, such as the transcriptional coactivator myocardin and the ternary complex factors (TCFs) of the ETS-domain family. In the current study, published in the March 11, 2004, issue of Nature, investigators at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas, USA) found that the Elk-1 protein, which prevents myocardin from binding to SRF, modulated myocardin activity. Thus, growth and developmental signals controlled smooth-muscle gene expression by regulating the association of SRF with antagonistic cofactors.

"It has long been known that many diseases result from abnormal growth of smooth-muscle cells,” explained senior author Dr. Eric Olson, chairman of molecular biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. "The new findings are quite exciting because they reveal a previously unknown mechanism that controls the growth and differentiation of smooth-muscle cells. Knowing this mechanism, we can think about ways of regulating it to control smooth-muscle growth during disease.”



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University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center