Abstract
As the primary component of elastic fibers, elastin plays an important role in maintaining the elasticity and tensile ability of cardiovascular, pulmonary and many other tissues and organs. Studies have shown that elastin expression is regulated by a variety of molecules that have positive and negative regulatory effects. However, the specific mechanism is unclear. Moreover, elastin is reportedly involved in the development and progression of many cardiovascular diseases through changes in its expression and structural modifications once deposited in the extracellular matrix. This review article summarizes the role of elastin in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion, atherosclerosis, and atrial fibrillation, with emphasis on the potential molecular regulatory mechanisms.
Highlights
Elastin is an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein responsible for the extensibility and elastic recoil of many vertebrate tissues, such as large arteries, heart valves, pulmonary tissues, skin, and certain ligaments and cartilages (Reichheld et al, 2019)
The hydrophobic domains of tropoelastin are rich in non-polar amino acids, glycine, valine, proline, and alanine, which often appear in repeats of 3–6 peptides, such as GVGVP, GGVP, and GVAP
Elastogenic cells including smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells can produce and secrete tropoelastin (Wise et al, 2009), we found that the co-expression of cardiac troponin T and elastin were detected in rat cardiomyocytes and rat myocardial tissues
Summary
Elastin is an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein responsible for the extensibility and elastic recoil of many vertebrate tissues, such as large arteries, heart valves, pulmonary tissues, skin, and certain ligaments and cartilages (Reichheld et al, 2019). Elastic fibers, which are the products of enzymatically cross-linked tropoelastin monomers and microfibrillar proteins, are composed of an insoluble polymerized elastin (ELN) core and microfibers located at the periphery (Yeo et al, 2011; Shin and Yanagisawa, 2019). Elastic fiber networks play an essential role in maintaining normal physiological functions, conferring elasticity, and recoiling to tissues and organs. Both genetic and acquired cardiovascular diseases are associated with the insufficiency or disorganization of elastin and the breakage of elastic fibers (Cocciolone et al, 2018). We aim to provide new ideas for the treatment of these diseases
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