Cell Reports (Aug 2023)

Sox10 escalates vascular inflammation by mediating vascular smooth muscle cell transdifferentiation and pyroptosis in neointimal hyperplasia

  • Xin Xu,
  • Dan-Dan Zhang,
  • Peng Kong,
  • Ya-Kun Gao,
  • Xiao-Fu Huang,
  • Yu Song,
  • Wen-Di Zhang,
  • Rui-Juan Guo,
  • Chang-Lin Li,
  • Bo-Wen Chen,
  • Yue Sun,
  • Yong-Bo Zhao,
  • Fang-Yue Jia,
  • Xu Wang,
  • Fan Zhang,
  • Mei Han

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 42, no. 8
p. 112869

Abstract

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Summary: Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) can transdifferentiate into macrophage-like cells in the context of sustained inflammatory injury, which drives vascular hyperplasia and atherosclerotic complications. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we identify that macrophage-like VSMCs are the key cell population in mouse neointimal hyperplasia. Sex-determining region Y (SRY)-related HMG-box gene 10 (Sox10) upregulation is associated with macrophage-like VSMC accumulation and pyroptosis in vitro and in the neointimal hyperplasia of mice. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α)-induced Sox10 lactylation in a phosphorylation-dependent manner by PI3K/AKT signaling drives transcriptional programs of VSMC transdifferentiation, contributing to pyroptosis. The regulator of G protein signaling 5 (RGS5) interacts with AKT and blocks PI3K/AKT signaling and Sox10 phosphorylation at S24. Sox10 silencing mitigates vascular inflammation and forestalls neointimal hyperplasia in RGS5 knockout mice. Collectively, this study shows that Sox10 is a regulator of vascular inflammation and a potential control point in inflammation-related vascular disease.

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