Project description:RationaleThe gene encoding TCF21 (transcription factor 21) has been linked to coronary artery disease risk by human genome-wide association studies in multiple racial ethnic groups. In murine models, Tcf21 is required for phenotypic modulation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in atherosclerotic tissues and promotes a fibroblast phenotype in these cells. In humans, TCF21 expression inhibits risk for coronary artery disease. The molecular mechanism by which TCF21 regulates SMC phenotype is not known.ObjectiveTo better understand how TCF21 affects the SMC phenotype, we sought to investigate the possible mechanisms by which it regulates the lineage determining MYOCD (myocardin)-SRF (serum response factor) pathway.Methods and resultsModulation of TCF21 expression in human coronary artery SMC revealed that TCF21 suppresses a broad range of SMC markers, as well as key SMC transcription factors MYOCD and SRF, at the RNA and protein level. We conducted chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing to map SRF-binding sites in human coronary artery SMC, showing that binding is colocalized in the genome with TCF21, including at a novel enhancer in the SRF gene, and at the MYOCD gene promoter. In vitro genome editing indicated that the SRF enhancer CArG box regulates transcription of the SRF gene, and mutation of this conserved motif in the orthologous mouse SRF enhancer revealed decreased SRF expression in aorta and heart tissues. Direct TCF21 binding and transcriptional inhibition at colocalized sites were established by reporter gene transfection assays. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and protein coimmunoprecipitation studies provided evidence that TCF21 blocks MYOCD and SRF association by direct TCF21-MYOCD interaction.ConclusionsThese data indicate that TCF21 antagonizes the MYOCD-SRF pathway through multiple mechanisms, further establishing a role for this coronary artery disease-associated gene in fundamental SMC processes and indicating the importance of smooth muscle response to vascular stress and phenotypic modulation of this cell type in coronary artery disease risk.

Project description:Recent genome wide association studies have identified a number of genes that contribute to the risk for coronary heart disease. One such gene, TCF21, encodes a basic-helix-loop-helix transcription factor believed to serve a critical role in the development of epicardial progenitor cells that give rise to coronary artery smooth muscle cells (SMC) and cardiac fibroblasts. Using reporter gene and immunolocalization studies with mouse and human tissues we have found that vascular TCF21 expression in the adult is restricted primarily to adventitial cells associated with coronary arteries and also medial SMC in the proximal aorta of mouse. Genome wide RNA-Seq studies in human coronary artery SMC (HCASMC) with siRNA knockdown found a number of putative TCF21 downstream pathways identified by enrichment of terms related to CAD, including “vascular disease,” “disorder of artery,” and “occlusion of artery” as well as disease-related cellular functions including “cellular movement,” and “cellular growth and proliferation.” In vitro studies in HCASMC demonstrated that TCF21 expression promotes proliferation and migration and inhibits SMC lineage marker expression. Detailed in situ expression studies with reporter gene and lineage tracing revealed that vascular wall cells expressing Tcf21 before disease initiation migrate into vascular lesions of ApoE-/- and Ldlr-/- mice. While Tcf21 lineage traced cells are distributed throughout the early lesions, in mature lesions they contribute to the formation of a subcapsular layer of cells, and others become associated with the fibrous cap. The lineage traced fibrous cap cells activate expression of SMC markers and growth factor receptor genes. Taken together, these data suggest that TCF21 may have a role regulating the differentiation state of SMC precursor cells that migrate into vascular lesions and contribute to the fibrous cap and more broadly, in view of the association of this gene with human CAD, provide evidence that these processes may be a mechanism for CAD risk attributable to the vascular wall.

Project description:Recent meta-analyses of genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified approximately 150 loci that are associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). To link the causal genes in these loci to functional transcriptional networks, we have used chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) with human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMC) to investigate the cellular and molecular program downstream of one CAD associated transcription factor, TCF21. Analysis of the TCF21 downstream target genes for enrichment of molecular and cellular annotation terms identified processes relevant to CAD pathophysiology, including growth factor binding (PDGF, VEGF), matrix interactions (“integrin binding,” “cell adhesion”), and smooth muscle contraction (“actin filament-based processes,” “actin cytoskeleton”). Motif searches of peak sequences confirmed the canonical E-box CAGCTG as the likely binding sequence for TCF21, but also identified bZip motifs that coordinate binding of AP1 family transcription factors. Follow-up ChIP-Seq studies verified enriched binding of bZip factors JUN and JUND to TCF21 target loci. Importantly, analysis of the representation of CAD genes among TCF21 target loci showed highly significant enrichment. Further, expression quantitative trait variation mapped to target genes of TCF21 were significantly enriched among variants with low P-values in the GWAS analyses, and single nucleotide polymorphisms within TCF21 peaks were shown to be in linkage disequilibrium with CAD-associated SNPs, suggesting a functional interaction between TCF21 binding and causal variants in other CAD disease loci. Thus, data and analyses presented here provide evidence for a transcriptional regulatory network that links TCF21 function in smooth muscle cells with a number of other CAD-associated genes, and suggest that study of GWAS transcription factors may be a highly useful approach to identifying disease gene interactions and thus pathways that may be relevant to complex disease etiology. We did ChIP-Seq on human coronary artery smooth muscle cells grown in SmGM-2 Smooth Muscle Growth Medium-2 including hEGF, insulin, hFGF-B and FBS, but without antibiotics (Lonza, #CC-3182. We did immunoprecipitations with two antibodies (Sigma HPA013189 and Abcam 49475). We conducted two biological replicates for each antibody, and also did an IgG control for these studies. For these experiments, sequencing was done on an Illumina GAII, single end reads. In separate set of experiments we performed ChIP-Seq for JUN (Ab sc-1694) and JUND (Ab sc-74) with the same HCASMC cells under the same culture conditions. For these studies we did one replicate for each antibody, and also included an IgG control. Sequencing for the JUN and JUND studies was paired ends, on an Illumina HiSeq machine.

Project description:Although numerous genetic loci have been associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) with genome wide association studies (GWAS), efforts are needed to identify the causal genes in these loci and link them into fundamental signaling pathways. Toward that end, experiments reported here extend our investigation of the disease mechanism of CAD associated gene SMAD3, a central transcriptional intermediate in the TGFb pathway, investigating its role in smooth muscle biology. In vitro studies in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMC) revealed that SMAD3 modulates cell state decisions in this cell type, promoting expression of differentiation marker genes and migration while inhibiting proliferation. RNA and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIPseq) studies in HCASMC identified downstream genes that reside in pathways which mediate vascular development and disease processes, including those related to atherosclerosis pathophysiology, expanding understanding of the TGFb canonical pathway in this cell type. ChIPseq studies also found colocalization of SMAD3 binding in loci targeted by TCF21, a CAD associated transcription factor that has been shown to produce a CAD protective de-differentiation program in HCASMC. In loci where these factors are juxtaposed on DNA, SMAD3 binding was anti-correlated with TCF21, and increased in cells depleted of TCF21, as shown by ChIPseq and ChIP experiments. Further, reporter gene studies revealed that while SMAD3 increased transcription at a SERPINE1 enhancer, and this effect was blocked by TCF21. Together, these data suggest that SMAD3 regulation of gene expression is modulated by TCF21, through independent regulation of jointly occupied genes and through epigenetic and possibly direct protein-protein interactions. Finally, eQTL studies in HCASMC indicated that SMAD3 expression is directly associated with increased disease risk, opposing the known protective effect of TCF21. We propose that the pro-differentiation function of SMAD3 inhibits HCASMC dedifferentiation of these cells as they respond to vascular stresses and expand and migrate to stabilize the plaque, and that SMAD3 function is directly opposed at the transcriptional level by the disease protective expression of TCF21, which promotes dedifferentiation and phenotypic modulation.

Project description:Recent meta-analyses of genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified approximately 150 loci that are associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). To link the causal genes in these loci to functional transcriptional networks, we have used chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) with human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMC) to investigate the cellular and molecular program downstream of one CAD associated transcription factor, TCF21. Analysis of the TCF21 downstream target genes for enrichment of molecular and cellular annotation terms identified processes relevant to CAD pathophysiology, including growth factor binding (PDGF, VEGF), matrix interactions (“integrin binding,” “cell adhesion”), and smooth muscle contraction (“actin filament-based processes,” “actin cytoskeleton”). Motif searches of peak sequences confirmed the canonical E-box CAGCTG as the likely binding sequence for TCF21, but also identified bZip motifs that coordinate binding of AP1 family transcription factors. Follow-up ChIP-Seq studies verified enriched binding of bZip factors JUN and JUND to TCF21 target loci. Importantly, analysis of the representation of CAD genes among TCF21 target loci showed highly significant enrichment. Further, expression quantitative trait variation mapped to target genes of TCF21 were significantly enriched among variants with low P-values in the GWAS analyses, and single nucleotide polymorphisms within TCF21 peaks were shown to be in linkage disequilibrium with CAD-associated SNPs, suggesting a functional interaction between TCF21 binding and causal variants in other CAD disease loci. Thus, data and analyses presented here provide evidence for a transcriptional regulatory network that links TCF21 function in smooth muscle cells with a number of other CAD-associated genes, and suggest that study of GWAS transcription factors may be a highly useful approach to identifying disease gene interactions and thus pathways that may be relevant to complex disease etiology.

Project description:Although numerous genetic loci have been associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) with genome wide association studies (GWAS), efforts are needed to identify the causal genes in these loci and link them into fundamental signaling pathways. Toward that end, experiments reported here extend our investigation of the disease mechanism of CAD associated gene SMAD3, a central transcriptional intermediate in the TGFb pathway, investigating its role in smooth muscle biology. In vitro studies in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMC) revealed that SMAD3 modulates cell state decisions in this cell type, promoting expression of differentiation marker genes and migration while inhibiting proliferation. RNA and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIPseq) studies in HCASMC identified downstream genes that reside in pathways which mediate vascular development and disease processes, including those related to atherosclerosis pathophysiology, expanding understanding of the TGFb canonical pathway in this cell type. ChIPseq studies also found colocalization of SMAD3 binding in loci targeted by TCF21, a CAD associated transcription factor that has been shown to produce a CAD protective de-differentiation program in HCASMC. In loci where these factors are juxtaposed on DNA, SMAD3 binding was anti-correlated with TCF21, and increased in cells depleted of TCF21, as shown by ChIPseq and ChIP experiments. Further, reporter gene studies revealed that while SMAD3 increased transcription at a SERPINE1 enhancer, and this effect was blocked by TCF21. Together, these data suggest that SMAD3 regulation of gene expression is modulated by TCF21, through independent regulation of jointly occupied genes and through epigenetic and possibly direct protein-protein interactions. Finally, eQTL studies in HCASMC indicated that SMAD3 expression is directly associated with increased disease risk, opposing the known protective effect of TCF21. We propose that the pro-differentiation function of SMAD3 inhibits HCASMC dedifferentiation of these cells as they respond to vascular stresses and expand and migrate to stabilize the plaque, and that SMAD3 function is directly opposed at the transcriptional level by the disease protective expression of TCF21, which promotes dedifferentiation and phenotypic modulation. Methods: Primary human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMCs) were purchased from three different manufacturers, PromoCell, Lonza and Cell Applications at passage 2 and were cultured in smooth muscle cell basal media along with hEGF, insulin, hFGF-B and fetal bovine serum (FBS) (Lonza # CC-3182) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. HCASMCs between passages 5-8 were used for all the experiments. SMAD3 (s8401 and s8402) silencer select siRNAs were purchased from Life Technologies. siRNA transfection was performed using Lipofectamine RNAiMAX (Life Technologies). For each well treated with the SMAD3 siRNA or scrambled control (Life technologies, #4390843), the final concentration was 20 nM. HCASMCs were seeded in 6 well plates and grown to 75% confluence before siRNA transfection. HCASMCs were transfected with the SMAD3 siRNA or scrambled control for 12 hours and subsequently collected and processed for RNA isolation after 48 hrs of transfection using the RNeasy kit (Qiagen). Three experimental and three control samples were generated and sequenced on a HiSeq 4000 machine, 125 bp paired end reads. Reads were processed using rnaSeqFPro, a workflow for full processing of RNASeq data starting from fastq files. In brief, the quality control was performed using FastQC, mapping to the human genome hg19 was performed using STAR second pass mapping to increase the percentage of mapped reads, and counting was done with featureCounts using GENCODE gtf annotation. Next, rnaSeqFPro performed differential analysis using DESeq2, conducted principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering using standard R functions, plotPCA and heatmap.2 and generated graphs using gglot2. DESeq2 gave 493 differentially expressed (DE) genes (FDR < 0.05).

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Coronary disease associated gene TCF21 inhibits smooth muscle cell differentiation by blocking the myocardin-serum response factor pathway

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