Mechanism of Regulation of Endothelin-1 Gene

血管内皮在调节血管张力、血管生长、平滑肌增殖、止血、血管发生和血管生成中起关键作用。然而，人们对这些事件背后的基因调控机制知之甚少。内皮素-1（ET-1）是一种有效的血管收缩肽，主要以内皮细胞特异性方式表达，其表达在健康和疾病中均受到严格调控。基于我的初步数据，我建议VEZF 1/DB 1，锌指转录因子，是一种内皮细胞特异性转录因子，调节ET-1的表达。我已经表征了VEZF 1/DB 1在ET-1启动子中的最小VEZF 1/DB 1响应元件（顺式作用元件）处参与DNA：蛋白质复合物。我打算测试的重要性，这个元件在ET- 1基因的发育表达，使用转基因小鼠含有启动子结构突变，在这个网站。通过酵母双杂交筛选，鉴定并鉴定了与VEZFI/DB 1相互作用的ET-1基因表达调控分子，并验证了这些相互作用分子对ET-1表达的重要性。这些研究将为健康和疾病中内皮基因表达的机制提供重要的新见解。

The vascular endothelium plays a critical role in regulation of vascular tone, vessel growth, proliferation of smooth muscle, hemostasis, vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. However, little is known about the mechanisms of gene regulation that underlie these events. Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor peptide, is expressed predominantly in an endothelial cell-specific fashion, and its expression is tightly regulated both in health and in disease. Based on my preliminary data, I propose that VEZFl/DB1, a zinc finger transcription factor, is an endothelial cell-specific transcription factor that regulates the expression of ET-1. I have characterized the participation of VEZFl/DB1 in DNA:protein complexes at the minimal VEZF1/DB1 response element (cis-acting element) in the ET-1 promoter. I intend to test the importance of this element in developmental expression of ET- 1 gene using transgenic mice containing a promoter construct mutated at this site. I will also identify and characterize potential interacting partners that participate with VEZFI/DB1 in regulating the expression of ET-1 gene via a yeast two-hybrid screen, and test the importance of these interaction partners on ET-1 expression. These studies should provide important new insight into the mechanisms underlying endothelial gene expression in health and disease.