Long noncoding RNAs and YTHDF2 regulate Human Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Switch

DE LA CRUZ-THEA, BENJAMÍN; HO, XUAN; PEINADO, VICTOR; NATALI, LAUTARO; VOLPINI, XIMENA; MEISTER, GUNTER; MUSRI, MELINA M.

Congreso; REUNIÓN DE SOCIEDADES DE BIOCIENCIAS 2020; 2020

Alteration of smooth muscle cell (SMC) plasticity from a contractile-differentiated to a proliferative-dedifferentiated phenotype constitutes a key factor in the development of cardiovascular diseases. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification regulate a plethora of biological processes in both physiological and pathological settings, but their participation in SMC differentiation is just starting to emerge. The aim of this study was to investigate molecular mechanisms involved in SMC differentiation mediated by novel lncRNAs. We used an in vitro model of cell-to-cell contact-induced SMC differentiation of pulmonary artery-derived SMC (hPASMC, Lonza). LncRNAs expression was assessed by Illumina RNA deep-sequencing of total RNA and RT-qPCR. The lncRNA4 (TCONS_00006193) showed a significant increase during SMC differentiation (p