کد مقاله | کد نشریه | سال انتشار | مقاله انگلیسی | نسخه تمام متن |
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2133143 | 1086743 | 2006 | 10 صفحه PDF | دانلود رایگان |
α-Smooth muscle actin (SMA), an actin isoform that contributes to cell-generated mechanical tension, is normally restricted to cells of vascular smooth muscle, but SMA can also be expressed in certain non-muscle cells, most notably myofibroblasts. These cells are present in healing wounds, scars, and fibrocontractive lesions where they contribute to fibrosis. In myofibroblasts, cell-generated traction forces associated with SMA contribute to matrix remodeling, but exogenous mechanical forces can also increase SMA expression. Force-induced SMA utilizes a feed-forward amplification loop involving a priori SMA in focal adhesions, the binding of the p38 MAP kinase to SMA filaments, activation of Rho and binding of serum response factor to the CArG-B box of the SMA promoter. Thus, in addition to its importance as a structural protein in tissue remodeling and contraction, SMA may serve as a mechanotransducer, based on its ability to physically link mechanosensory elements and to enhance its own, force-induced expression.
Journal: Experimental Cell Research - Volume 312, Issue 3, 1 February 2006, Pages 205–214