Up-regulation of Rhoa/Rho kinase pathway by translationally controlled tumor protein in vascular smooth muscle cells

Int J Mol Sci. 2014 Jun 10;15(6):10365-76. doi: 10.3390/ijms150610365.

Abstract

Translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP), a repressor for Na,K-ATPase has been implicated in the development of systemic hypertension, as proved by TCTP-over-expressing transgenic (TCTP-TG) mice. Aorta of TCTP-TG exhibited hypercontractile response compared to that of non-transgenic mice (NTG) suggesting dys-regulation of signaling pathways involved in the vascular contractility by TCTP. Because dys-regulation of RhoA/Rho kinase pathway is implicated in increased vascular contractility, we examined whether TCTP induces alterations in RhoA pathway in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). We found that TCTP over-expression by adenovirus infection up-regulated RhoA pathway including the expression of RhoA, and its downstream signalings, phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase target protein (MYPT-1), and myosin light chain (MLC). Conversely, lentiviral silencing of TCTP reduced the RhoA expression and Rho kinase signalings. Using immunohistochemical and Western blotting studies on aortas from TCTP-TG confirmed the elevated expression of RhoA and increase in p-MLC (phosphorylated MLC). In contrast, down-regulation of RhoA and p-MLC were found in aortas from heterozygous mice with deleted allele of TCTP (TCTP+/-). We conclude that up-regulation of TCTP induces RhoA-mediated pathway, and that TCTP-induced RhoA plays a role in the regulation in vasculature. Modulation of TCTP may offer a therapeutic target for hypertension and in vascular contractility dysfunction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aorta / metabolism
  • Aorta / pathology
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / cytology
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / cytology
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / metabolism*
  • Myosin Light Chains / metabolism
  • Myosin-Light-Chain Kinase / metabolism
  • Myosin-Light-Chain Phosphatase
  • Phosphorylation
  • RNA Interference
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Signal Transduction
  • Tumor Protein, Translationally-Controlled 1
  • Up-Regulation
  • rho-Associated Kinases / metabolism*
  • rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism*

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Myosin Light Chains
  • TPT1 protein, human
  • Tpt1 protein, mouse
  • Tpt1 protein, rat
  • Tumor Protein, Translationally-Controlled 1
  • rho-Associated Kinases
  • Myosin-Light-Chain Kinase
  • Myosin-Light-Chain Phosphatase
  • Ppp1r12a protein, mouse
  • rhoA GTP-Binding Protein