ISSN:
0006-3592
Keywords:
c-fos protein
;
endothelium
;
hemodynamics
;
Chemistry
;
Biochemistry and Biotechnology
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Process Engineering, Biotechnology, Nutrition Technology
Notes:
The c-fos protein belongs to a family of transcriptional cofactors that can complex with proteins of the Jun family and activate mRNA transcription from gene promoters containing an activator protein 1 (AP-1) binding element. The shear stress inducibility of the c-fos protein was studied in human and animal cell lines of vastly different origins. Primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC, passage 2-14), HeLa cells, and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were subjected to steady laminar shear stress using a parallel plate flow apparatus. After 1 h of flow exposure at 25 dyn/cm2, the c-fos levels in nuclei of shear stress HUVEC, BAEC, HeLa, and CHO were 5.4 ± 2.0 (n = 3), 2.25 ± 1.38 (n = 6), 2.14 ± 0.07 (n = 8), 1.92 ± 0.58 (n = 2) times higher, respectively, than in matched stationary controls. Flow exposure at 4 dyn/cm2 caused no enhancement of c-fos levels in any of the cell lines tested, but caused significant reduction in c-fos expression in the HeLa cells. The c-fos induction by shear stress could be blocked by pharmacological agents. For example, the flow induction of the c-fos protein levels was blocked by 50% with the preincubation of HUVEC with a protein kinase C inhibitor, H7 (10 μM) and blocked completely in HeLa cells preincubated with the phospholipase C inhibitor, neomycin (5 mM). The minimum time of shear stress exposure required to induce the c-fos protein expression in HeLa cells was found to be as low as 1 min. By Northern analysis, the c-fos mRNA levels were found to be elevated in BAEC, CHO, and HeLa cells exposed to 25 dyn/cm2 for 30 min. These studies indicate that c-fos induction is a consistent genetic response in a variety of mammalian cells that may alter cellular phenotype in mechanical environments. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Additional Material:
7 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
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