scholarly journals Endothelial to Mesenchymal Transition: Role in Physiology and in the Pathogenesis of Human Diseases

2019 ◽  
Vol 99 (2) ◽  
pp. 1281-1324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonsoles Piera-Velazquez ◽  
Sergio A. Jimenez

Numerous studies have demonstrated that endothelial cells are capable of undergoing endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT), a newly recognized type of cellular transdifferentiation. EndMT is a complex biological process in which endothelial cells adopt a mesenchymal phenotype displaying typical mesenchymal cell morphology and functions, including the acquisition of cellular motility and contractile properties. Endothelial cells undergoing EndMT lose the expression of endothelial cell-specific proteins such as CD31/platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule, von Willebrand factor, and vascular-endothelial cadherin and initiate the expression of mesenchymal cell-specific genes and the production of their encoded proteins including α-smooth muscle actin, extra domain A fibronectin, N-cadherin, vimentin, fibroblast specific protein-1, also known as S100A4 protein, and fibrillar type I and type III collagens. Transforming growth factor-β1 is considered the main EndMT inducer. However, EndMT involves numerous molecular and signaling pathways that are triggered and modulated by multiple and often redundant mechanisms depending on the specific cellular context and on the physiological or pathological status of the cells. EndMT participates in highly important embryonic development processes, as well as in the pathogenesis of numerous genetically determined and acquired human diseases including malignant, vascular, inflammatory, and fibrotic disorders. Despite intensive investigation, many aspects of EndMT remain to be elucidated. The identification of molecules and regulatory pathways involved in EndMT and the discovery of specific EndMT inhibitors should provide novel therapeutic approaches for various human disorders mediated by EndMT.

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio A. Jimenez

The pathogenesis of Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is extremely complex, and despite extensive studies, the exact mechanisms involved are not well understood. Numerous recent studies of early events in SSc pathogenesis have suggested that unknown etiologic factors in a genetically receptive host trigger structural and functional microvascular endothelial cell abnormalities. These alterations result in the attraction, transmigration, and accumulation of immune and inflammatory cells in the perivascular tissues, which in turn induce the phenotypic conversion of endothelial cells and quiescent fibroblasts into activated myofibroblasts, a process known as endothelial to mesenchymal transition or EndoMT. The activated myofibroblasts are the effector cells responsible for the severe and frequently progressive fibrotic process and the fibroproliferative vasculopathy that are the hallmarks of SSc. Thus, according to this hypothesis the endothelial and vascular alterations, which include the phenotypic conversion of endothelial cells into activated myofibroblasts, play a crucial role in the development of the progressive fibrotic process affecting skin and multiple internal organs. The role of endothelial cell and vascular alterations, the potential contribution of endothelial to mesenchymal cell transition in the pathogenesis of the tissue fibrosis, and fibroproliferative vasculopathy in SSc will be reviewed here.


Author(s):  
Zahra Alvandi ◽  
Joyce Bischoff

Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition is a dynamic process in which endothelial cells suppress constituent endothelial properties and take on mesenchymal cell behaviors. To begin the process, endothelial cells loosen their cell-cell junctions, degrade the basement membrane, and migrate out into the perivascular surroundings. These initial endothelial behaviors reflect a transient modulation of cellular phenotype, that is, a phenotypic modulation, that is sometimes referred to as partial endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Loosening of endothelial junctions and migration are also seen in inflammatory and angiogenic settings such that endothelial cells initiating endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition have overlapping behaviors and gene expression with endothelial cells responding to inflammatory signals or sprouting to form new blood vessels. Reduced endothelial junctions increase permeability, which facilitates leukocyte trafficking, whereas endothelial migration precedes angiogenic sprouting and neovascularization; both endothelial barriers and quiescence are restored as inflammatory and angiogenic stimuli subside. Complete endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition proceeds beyond phenotypic modulation such that mesenchymal characteristics become prominent and endothelial functions diminish. In proadaptive, regenerative settings the new mesenchymal cells produce extracellular matrix and contribute to tissue integrity whereas in maladaptive, pathologic settings the new mesenchymal cells become fibrotic, overproducing matrix to cause tissue stiffness, which eventually impacts function. Here we will review what is known about how TGF (transforming growth factor) β influences this continuum from junctional loosening to cellular migration and its relevance to cardiovascular diseases.


2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Su-Li Cheng ◽  
Jian-su Shao ◽  
Abraham Behrmann ◽  
Karen Krchma ◽  
Dwight A Towler

Objective Endothelial cells (ECs) can undergo an endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) during tissue fibrosis. Wnt- and Msx2-regulated signals participate in arteriosclerotic calcification and fibrosis. We studied the impact of Wnt7, Msx2, and Dkk1 (Wnt7 antagonist) on EndMT in primary aortic endothelial cells (AoECs). Methods and Results Transduction of AoECs with vectors expressing Dkk1 suppressed EC differentiation and induced a mineralizing myofibroblast phenotype. Dkk1 suppressed claudin 5, PECAM, cadherin 5 (Cdh5), Tie1 and Tie2. Dkk1 converted the cuboidal cell monolayer into a spindle-shaped multilayer and inhibited EC cord formation. Myofibrogenic and osteogenic markers - e.g., SM22, type I collagen, Osx, Runx2, alkaline phosphatase – were upregulated by Dkk1 via activin-like kinase / Smad pathways. Dkk1 increased fibrosis and mineralization of AoECs cultured under osteogenic conditions - the opposite of mesenchymal cell responses. Msx2 and Wnt7b maintained the “cobblestone” morphology of differentiated ECs and promoted EC marker expression. Deleting EC Wnt7b with the Cdh5-Cre transgene in Wnt7b(fl/fl);LDLR-/- mice upregulated aortic osteogenic genes (Osx, Sox9, Runx2, Msx2) and nuclear pSmad1/5, and increased collagen accumulation. Conclusions Dkk1 enhances EndMT in AoECs, while Msx2-Wnt7 signals stabilize EC phenotype. EC responses to Dkk1, Wnt7b, and Msx2 are the opposite of mesenchymal cell responses, coupling EC phenotypic stability with osteofibrogenic predilection during arteriosclerosis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Ursoli Ferreira ◽  
Lucas Eduardo Botelho Souza ◽  
Carolina Hassibe Thomé ◽  
Mariana Tomazini Pinto ◽  
Clarice Origassa ◽  
...  

The endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) is a biological process where endothelial cells (ECs) acquire a fibroblastic phenotype after concomitant loss of the apical-basal polarity and intercellular junction proteins. This process is critical to embryonic development and is involved in diseases such as fibrosis and tumor progression. The signaling pathway of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) is an important molecular route responsible for EndMT activation. However, it is unclear whether the anatomic location of endothelial cells influences the activation of molecular pathways responsible for EndMT induction. Our study investigated the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in EndMT induced by TGF-β2 in macrovascular ECs obtained from different sources. For this purpose, we used four types of endothelial cells (coronary artery endothelial cells, CAECs; primary aortic endothelial cells PAECs; human umbilical vein endothelia cells, HUVECs; and human pulmonary artery endothelial cells, HPAECs) and stimulated with 10 ng/mL of TGF-β2. We observed that among the ECs analyzed in this study, PAECs showed the best response to the TGF-β2 treatment, displaying phenotypic changes such as loss of endothelial marker and acquisition of mesenchymal markers, which are consistent with the EndMT activation. Moreover, the PAECs phenotypic transition was probably triggered by the extracellular signal–regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling pathway activation. Therefore, the anatomical origin of ECs influences their ability to undergo EndMT and the selective inhibition of the ERK pathway may suppress or reverse the progression of diseases caused or aggravated by the involvement EndMT activation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentin Platel ◽  
Sébastien Faure ◽  
Isabelle Corre ◽  
Nicolas Clere

Cancer cells evolve in a very complex tumor microenvironment, composed of several cell types, among which the endothelial cells are the major actors of the tumor angiogenesis. Today, these cells are also characterized for their plasticity, as endothelial cells have demonstrated their potential to modify their phenotype to differentiate into mesenchymal cells through the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT). This cellular plasticity is mediated by various stimuli including transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and is modulated dependently of experimental conditions. Recently, emerging evidences have shown that EndoMT is involved in the development and dissemination of cancer and also in cancer cell to escape from therapeutic treatment. In this review, we summarize current updates on EndoMT and its main induction pathways. In addition, we discuss the role of EndoMT in tumorigenesis, metastasis, and its potential implication in cancer therapy resistance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 126 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena L. Bochenek ◽  
Christiane Leidinger ◽  
Nico S. Rosinus ◽  
Rajinikanth Gogiraju ◽  
Stefan Guth ◽  
...  

Rationale: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is characterized by defective thrombus resolution, pulmonary artery obstruction, and vasculopathy. TGFβ (transforming growth factor-β) signaling mutations have been implicated in pulmonary arterial hypertension, whereas the role of TGFβ in the pathophysiology of CTEPH is unknown. Objective: To determine whether defective TGFβ signaling in endothelial cells contributes to thrombus nonresolution and fibrosis. Methods and Results: Venous thrombosis was induced by inferior vena cava ligation in mice with genetic deletion of TGFβ1 in platelets (Plt.TGFβ-KO) or TGFβ type II receptors in endothelial cells (End.TGFβRII-KO). Pulmonary endarterectomy specimens from CTEPH patients were analyzed using immunohistochemistry. Primary human and mouse endothelial cells were studied using confocal microscopy, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot. Absence of TGFβ1 in platelets did not alter platelet number or function but was associated with faster venous thrombus resolution, whereas endothelial TGFβRII deletion resulted in larger, more fibrotic and higher vascularized venous thrombi. Increased circulating active TGFβ1 levels, endothelial TGFβRI/ALK1 (activin receptor-like kinase), and TGFβRI/ALK5 expression were detected in End.TGFβRII-KO mice, and activated TGFβ signaling was present in vessel-rich areas of CTEPH specimens. CTEPH-endothelial cells and murine endothelial cells lacking TGFβRII simultaneously expressed endothelial and mesenchymal markers and transcription factors regulating endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, similar to TGFβ1-stimulated endothelial cells. Mechanistically, increased endothelin-1 levels were detected in TGFβRII-KO endothelial cells, murine venous thrombi, or endarterectomy specimens and plasma of CTEPH patients, and endothelin-1 overexpression was prevented by inhibition of ALK5, and to a lesser extent of ALK1. ALK5 inhibition and endothelin receptor antagonization inhibited mesenchymal lineage conversion in TGFβ1-exposed human and murine endothelial cells and improved venous thrombus resolution and pulmonary vaso-occlusions in End.TGFβRII-KO mice. Conclusions: Endothelial TGFβ1 signaling via type I receptors and endothelin-1 contribute to mesenchymal lineage transition and thrombofibrosis, which were prevented by blocking endothelin receptors. Our findings may have relevant implications for the prevention and management of CTEPH.


Author(s):  
Jin Ma ◽  
Gerard van der Zon ◽  
Manuel A. F. V. Gonçalves ◽  
Maarten van Dinther ◽  
Midory Thorikay ◽  
...  

Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) plays an important role in embryonic development and disease progression. Yet, how different members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family regulate EndMT is not well understood. In the current study, we report that TGF-β2, but not bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)9, triggers EndMT in murine endothelial MS-1 and 2H11 cells. TGF-β2 strongly upregulates the transcription factor SNAIL, and the depletion of Snail is sufficient to abrogate TGF-β2-triggered mesenchymal-like cell morphology acquisition and EndMT-related molecular changes. Although SLUG is not regulated by TGF-β2, knocking out Slug also partly inhibits TGF-β2-induced EndMT in 2H11 cells. Interestingly, in addition to SNAIL and SLUG, BMP9 stimulates inhibitor of DNA binding (ID) proteins. The suppression of Id1, Id2, or Id3 expression facilitated BMP9 in inducing EndMT and, in contrast, ectopic expression of ID1, ID2, or ID3 abrogated TGF-β2-mediated EndMT. Altogether, our results show that SNAIL is critical and indispensable for TGF-β2-mediated EndMT. Although SLUG is also involved in the EndMT process, it plays less of a crucial role in it. In contrast, ID proteins are essential for maintaining endothelial traits and repressing the function of SNAIL and SLUG during the EndMT process. These data suggest that the control over endothelial vs. mesenchymal cell states is determined, at least in part, by a balance between the expression of SNAIL/SLUG and ID proteins.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Myeongjoo Son ◽  
Seyeon Oh ◽  
Ji Tae Jang ◽  
Kuk Hui Son ◽  
Kyunghee Byun

Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), which is involved in the development of various cardiovascular diseases, is induced by dyslipidemia or obesity. In dyslipidemia, the increased levels of oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) upregulated the lectin-type oxidized LDL receptor 1 (Lox-1), which then upregulated the down signaling pathways of PKC-α/MMPs/TGF-β/SMAD2 or 3 and increased the EndMT. In this study, we investigated the effect of pyrogallol-phloroglucinol-6,6-bieckol (PPB), which is a compound of Ecklonia cava (E. cava), on decreased blood pressure (BP) by attenuating the EndMT in a high-fat diet- (HFD-) fed animal model. We also investigated PPB’s attenuation effect on EndMT in oxLDL-treated mouse endothelial cells as an in vitro model. The results indicated that, in the aorta or endothelial cells of mice, the HFD or oxLDL treatment significantly increased the expression of Lox-1/PKC-α/MMP9/TGF-β/SMAD2/SMAD3. The PPB treatment significantly decreased its expression. In contrast, the HFD or oxLDL treatment significantly decreased the expression of the EC markers (PECAM-1 and vWF) while the PPB treatment significantly increased them. Moreover, the HFD or oxLDL treatment significantly increased the expression of the mesenchymal cell markers (α-SMA and vimentin) while PPB treatment significantly decreased them. PPB decreased the intima-media thickness and extracellular matrix amount of the aorta and attenuated the BP, which was increased by the HFD. In conclusion, PPB attenuated the upregulation of Lox-1/PKC-α/MMP9/TGF-β/SMAD2 and 3 and restored the EndMT in HFD-fed animals. Moreover, PPB showed a restoring effect on HFD-induced hypertension.


2017 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. 924-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirko Manetti ◽  
Eloisa Romano ◽  
Irene Rosa ◽  
Serena Guiducci ◽  
Silvia Bellando-Randone ◽  
...  

ObjectiveSystemic sclerosis (SSc) features multiorgan fibrosis orchestrated predominantly by activated myofibroblasts. Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) is a transdifferentiation by which endothelial cells (ECs) lose their specific morphology/markers and acquire myofibroblast-like features. Here, we determined the possible contribution of EndoMT to the pathogenesis of dermal fibrosis in SSc and two mouse models.MethodsSkin sections were immunostained for endothelial CD31 or vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin in combination with α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) myofibroblast marker. Dermal microvascular ECs (dMVECs) were prepared from SSc and healthy skin (SSc-dMVECs and H-dMVECs). H-dMVECs were treated with transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1) or SSc and healthy sera. Endothelial/mesenchymal markers were assessed by real-time PCR, immunoblotting and immunofluorescence. Cell contractile phenotype was assayed by collagen gel contraction.ResultsCells in intermediate stages of EndoMT were identified in dermal vessels of either patients with SSc or bleomycin-induced and urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR)-deficient mouse models. At variance with H-dMVECs, SSc-dMVECs exhibited a spindle-shaped appearance, co-expression of lower levels of CD31 and VE-cadherin with myofibroblast markers (α-SMA+ stress fibres, S100A4 and type I collagen), constitutive nuclear localisation of the EndoMT driver Snail1 and an ability to effectively contract collagen gels. Treatment of H-dMVECs either with SSc sera or TGFβ1 resulted in the acquisition of a myofibroblast-like morphology and contractile phenotype and downregulation of endothelial markers in parallel with the induction of mesenchymal markers. Matrix metalloproteinase-12-dependent uPAR cleavage was implicated in the induction of EndoMT by SSc sera.ConclusionsIn SSc, EndoMT may be a crucial event linking endothelial dysfunction and development of dermal fibrosis.


Author(s):  
Xiaodong Liang ◽  
Shuo Wu ◽  
Zilong Geng ◽  
Li Liu ◽  
Shasha Zhang ◽  
...  

Rationale: Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) is a fundamental biological process in which endothelial cells lose their endothelial characteristics and acquire mesenchymal properties. EndMT contributes to physiological organ development such as valvulogenesis, and is associated with a number of deleterious pathologies such as organ fibrosis. Several signaling pathways of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and inflammation have been shown to regulate EndMT. However, the transcriptional and epigenetic programs governing EndMT remains largely unclarified. Objective: To identify the transcriptional or epigenetic mechanisms underlying EndMT and EndMT-associated formation of cardiac valves. Methods and Results: We identified the La ribonucleoprotein domain family member 7 (LARP7), a RNA binding protein regulating RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) pausing, was downregulated in two cytokine-induced EndMT models. LARP7 depletion with lentivirus-mediated shRNA transformed endothelial cells to mesenchymal morphology and induced the expression of the EndMT key regulator, SLUG. Specific deletion of LARP7 in the endocardium in inducible CDH5CreERT2;LARP7f/f mouse enhanced EndMT in the atrioventricular and outflow tract (OFT) cushion as revealed by lineage tracing approach. ChIP-seq analysis showed LARP7 and Tripartite Motif Containing 28 (TRIM28) which is an epigenetic repressor were colocalized at SLUG promoter. LARP7 directly interacted with TRIM28 and facilitated it loading to SLUG promoter and repressed its transcription through deacetylating the histones. More importantly, inducible knockout of LARP7 or TRIM28 in the endocardium accelerated EndMT, leading to the valvular hyperplasia, which was further aggravated by the double knockout of these two genes. Conclusions: The present study uncovers an orchestrated transcriptional and epigenetic mechanism by which LARP7 cooperates with TRIM28 to govern the EndMT and valvulogenesis.


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