Sox17 Deficiency Promotes Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension via HGF/c-Met Signaling
Park, Chan Soon
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Kim, Soo Hyun
;
Yang, Hae Young
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Kim, Ju-Hee
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Schermuly, Ralph Theo
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Cho, Ye Seul
;
Kang, Hyejeong
;
Park, Jae-Hyeong
;
Lee, Eunhyeong
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Park, HyeonJin
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Yang, Jee Myung
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Noh, Tae Wook
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Lee, Seung-Pyo
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Bae, Sun Sik
;
Han, Jinju
;
Ju, Young Seok
;
Park, Jun-Bean
;
Kim, Injune
초록
Background: In large-scale genomic studies, Sox17, an endothelial-specific transcription factor, has been suggested as a putative causal gene of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH); however, its role and molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated. We investigated the functional impacts and acting mechanisms of impaired Sox17 (SRY-related HMG-box17) pathway in PAH and explored its potential as a therapeutic target. Methods: In adult mice, Sox17 deletion in pulmonary endothelial cells (ECs) induced PAH under hypoxia with high penetrance and severity, but not under normoxia. Results: Key features of PAH, such as hypermuscularization, EC hyperplasia, and inflammation in lung arterioles, right ventricular hypertrophy, and elevated pulmonary arterial pressure, persisted even after long rest in normoxia. Mechanistically, transcriptomic profiling predicted that the combination of Sox17 deficiency and hypoxia activated c-Met signaling in lung ECs. HGF (hepatocyte grow factor), a ligand of c-Met, was upregulated in Sox17-deficient lung ECs. Pharmacologic inhibition of HGF/c-Met signaling attenuated and reversed the features of PAH in both preventive and therapeutic settings. Similar to findings in animal models, Sox17 levels in lung ECs were repressed in 26.7% of PAH patients (4 of 15), while those were robust in all 14 non-PAH controls. HGF levels in pulmonary arterioles were increased in 86.7% of patients with PAH (13 of 15), but none of the controls showed that pattern. Conclusions: The downregulation of Sox17 levels in pulmonary arterioles increases the susceptibility to PAH, particularly when exposed to hypoxia. Our findings suggest the reactive upregulation of HGF/c-Met signaling as a novel druggable target for PAH treatment.
Mitochondrial HSP90 Accumulation Promotes Vascular Remodeling in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Boucherat, Olivier
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Peterlini, Thibaut
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Bourgeois, Alice
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Nadeau, Valerie
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Breuils-Bonnet, Sandra
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Boilet-Molez, Stephanie
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Potus, Francois
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Meloche, Jolyane
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Chabot, Sophie
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Lambert, Caroline
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Tremblay, Eve
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Chae, Young Chan
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Altieri, Dario C
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Sutendra, Gopinath
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Michelakis, Evangelos D
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Paulin, Roxane
;
Provencher, Steeve
;
Bonnet, Sebastien
초록
Rationale: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a vascular remodeling disease with a poor prognosis and limited therapeutic option. Although the mechanisms contributing to vascular remodeling in PAH are still unclear, several features, including hyper-proliferation and resistance to apoptosis of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), have led to the emergence of the cancer-like concept. The molecular chaperone heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is directly associated with malignant growth and proliferation under stress conditions. In addition to be highly expressed in the cytosol, HSP90 exists in a subcellular pool compartmentalized in the mitochondria (mtHSP90) of tumor cells, but not in normal cells, where it promotes cell survival. Objectives: We hypothesized that mtHSP90 in PAH-PASMCs represents a protective mechanism against stress promoting their proliferation and resistance to apoptosis. Measurements and Main Results: We demonstrated that in response to stress HSP90 preferentially accumulates in PAH-PASMC mitochondria (dual immunostaining, immunoblot and immunogold electron microscopy) to ensure cell survival by preserving mitochondrial DNA integrity and bioenergetics functions (Seahorse). Whereas cytosolic HSP90 inhibition displays a lack of absolute specificity for PAH-PASMCs, Gamitrinib, a specific mtHSP90 inhibitor decreased mitochondrial DNA content and repair capacity and bioenergetics functions, thus repressing PAH-PASMC proliferation (Ki67 labeling) and resistance to apoptosis (Annexin V assay) without affecting control cells. In vivo, Gamitrinib improves PAH in two experimental rat models (monocrotaline and Fawn-Hooded rat). Conclusions: Our data show for the first time that accumulation of mtHSP90 is a feature of PAH-PASMCs and key regulator of mitochondrial homeostasis contributing to vascular remodeling in PAH.
서지사항
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE, v.198, no.1, pp.90 - 103, 2018-07