Myocardin: A novel player in atherosclerosis

摘要: Myocardin (MYOCD) the most important coactivator of serum response factor (SRF), plays a critical role specifically in development cardiac myocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Binding to SRF on CArG box-containing target genes can transcriptionally activate variety downstream muscle-specific genes, such as Sm22α, Acta2, Myh11, several other signaling pathways. expression represents contractile differentiated SMC phenotype. Loss Myocardin, however, synthetic dedifferentiated phenotype, hallmark atherosclerosis. Growing evidence shows that is involved lipid metabolism inflammation, primary pathogenesis Moreover, level altered atherosclerotic patients animal models, suggesting more extensive roles for In current review, we summarized recent progress regulation highlighted its impacts disease.