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Wong D, Auguste G, Cardenas CLL, Turner AW, Chen Y, Song Y, Ma L, Perry RN, Aherrahrou R, Kuppusamy M, Yang C, Mosquera JV, Dube CJ, Khan MD, Palmore M, Kalra JK, Kavousi M, Peyser PA, Matic L, Hedin U, Manichaikul A, Sonkusare SK, Civelek M, Kovacic JC, Björkegren JL, Malhotra R, Miller CL. FHL5 Controls Vascular Disease-Associated Gene Programs in Smooth Muscle Cells. Circ Res 2023; 132:1144-1161. [PMID: 37017084 PMCID: PMC10147587 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.122.321692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genome-wide association studies have identified hundreds of loci associated with common vascular diseases, such as coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and hypertension. However, the lack of mechanistic insights for many GWAS loci limits their translation into the clinic. Among these loci with unknown functions is UFL1-four-and-a-half LIM (LIN-11, Isl-1, MEC-3) domain 5 (FHL5; chr6q16.1), which reached genome-wide significance in a recent coronary artery disease/ myocardial infarction GWAS meta-analysis. UFL1-FHL5 is also associated with several vascular diseases, consistent with the widespread pleiotropy observed for GWAS loci. METHODS We apply a multimodal approach leveraging statistical fine-mapping, epigenomic profiling, and ex vivo analysis of human coronary artery tissues to implicate FHL5 as the top candidate causal gene. We unravel the molecular mechanisms of the cross-phenotype genetic associations through in vitro functional analyses and epigenomic profiling experiments in coronary artery smooth muscle cells. RESULTS We prioritized FHL5 as the top candidate causal gene at the UFL1-FHL5 locus through expression quantitative trait locus colocalization methods. FHL5 gene expression was enriched in the smooth muscle cells and pericyte population in human artery tissues with coexpression network analyses supporting a functional role in regulating smooth muscle cell contraction. Unexpectedly, under procalcifying conditions, FHL5 overexpression promoted vascular calcification and dysregulated processes related to extracellular matrix organization and calcium handling. Lastly, by mapping FHL5 binding sites and inferring FHL5 target gene function using artery tissue gene regulatory network analyses, we highlight regulatory interactions between FHL5 and downstream coronary artery disease/myocardial infarction loci, such as FOXL1 and FN1 that have roles in vascular remodeling. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these studies provide mechanistic insights into the pleiotropic genetic associations of UFL1-FHL5. We show that FHL5 mediates vascular disease risk through transcriptional regulation of downstream vascular remodeling gene programs. These transacting mechanisms may explain a portion of the heritable risk for complex vascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doris Wong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Gaëlle Auguste
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Christian L. Lino Cardenas
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Adam W. Turner
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Yixuan Chen
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Yipei Song
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Lijiang Ma
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - R. Noah Perry
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Redouane Aherrahrou
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Maniselvan Kuppusamy
- Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Chaojie Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Jose Verdezoto Mosquera
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Collin J. Dube
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Mohammad Daud Khan
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Meredith Palmore
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Jaspreet K. Kalra
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Maryam Kavousi
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, The Netherlands
| | | | - Ljubica Matic
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ulf Hedin
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ani Manichaikul
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Swapnil K. Sonkusare
- Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Mete Civelek
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Jason C. Kovacic
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- St. Vincent’s Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Johan L.M. Björkegren
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
- Integrated Cardio Metabolic Centre, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Rajeev Malhotra
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Clint L. Miller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Asadi Z, Fathi M, Rismani E, Bigdelou Z, Johari B. Application of decoy oligodeoxynucleotides strategy for inhibition of cell growth and reduction of metastatic properties in nonresistant and erlotinib-resistant SW480 cell line. Cell Biol Int 2021; 45:1001-1014. [PMID: 33377576 DOI: 10.1002/cbin.11543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a critical regulator for angiogenesis, cell cycle progression, apoptosis, and drug resistance. Resistance toward EGF receptor (EGFR) inhibitors is a significant clinical concern for metastatic colon cancer patients. The present study aimed to evaluate the blocking influences of STAT3 decoy oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) on the STAT3 survival signaling pathway in nonresistant and erlotinib-resistant SW480 colon cancer cells. First, STAT3 decoy and scramble ODNs were designed according to STAT3 elements in the promoter region of MYCT1 gene and tested for the interaction of STAT3 protein with designed ODNs via in silico molecular docking study. Then, the efficiency of transfection and subcellular localization of ODNs were assessed using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy, respectively. Cell viability, cell cycle, and apoptosis tests, scratch and colony formation assays, and real-time PCR were also used to study the cancerous properties of cells. A considerable decrease in proliferation of colon cancer cells was observed with blockade of STAT3 signaling due to cell cycle arrest and induced apoptosis via downregulation of cyclin D1 and Bcl-XL, respectively. Furthermore, upon transfecting STAT3 decoy ODNs, colony formation potential and migration activity in both SW480 colon cancer cell lines were decreased compared to the control groups. From this study, it could be concluded that STAT3 is critical for cell growth inhibition and metastatic properties reduction of resistant SW480 colon cancer cells; therefore, STAT3 decoy ODNs could be considered as potential therapeutics along with current remedies for treating drug-resistant colon cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoleykha Asadi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Fathi
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.,Cancer Gene Therapy Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Elham Rismani
- Molecular Medicine Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Bigdelou
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Behrooz Johari
- Cancer Gene Therapy Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.,Zanjan Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
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