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(Circulation Research. 2008;102:873.)
© 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.

Review

Epigenetic Regulation of Vascular Endothelial Gene Expression

Charles C. Matouk, Philip A. Marsden

From the Institute of Medical Sciences (C.C.M., P.A.M.) and the Renal Division and Department of Medicine (P.A.M.), St. Michael’s Hospital and University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Correspondence to Philip A. Marsden, Medical Sciences Building, Rm 7358, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8. E-mail p.marsden{at}utoronto.ca

This Review is part of a thematic series on Transcription Factors, which includes the following articles:

Regulation of Vascular Inflammation and Remodeling by ETS Factors

Myocardin-Related Transcription Factors: Critical Coactivators Regulating Cardiovascular Development and Adaptation

Notch Signaling in Blood Vessels: Who Is Talking to Whom About What?

Role of Krüppel-Like Transcription Factors in Endothelial Biology

Forkhead Transcription Factors and Cardiovascular Biology

Epigenetic Regulation of Vascular Endothelial Gene Expression
Mukesh Jain Guest Editor

Epigenetics refers to chromatin-based pathways important in the regulation of gene expression and includes 3 distinct, but highly interrelated, mechanisms: DNA methylation, histone density and posttranslational modifications, and RNA-based mechanisms. Together, they offer a newer perspective on transcriptional control paradigms in vascular endothelial cells and provide a molecular basis for how the environment impacts the genome to modify disease susceptibility. This review provides an introduction to epigenetic concepts for vascular biologists. Using endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) as an example, we examine the growing body of evidence implicating epigenetic pathways in the control of vascular endothelial gene expression in health and disease.

Key Words: chromatin • DNA methylation • epigenetics • histone • nitric oxide synthase