Abstract
Atherosclerosis is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease accounts for one-third of global deaths. However, the mechanism of atherosclerosis is not fully understood. It is well-known that the Rho GTPase family, especially Rho A, plays a vital role in the development and progression of arteriosclerosis. Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (Rho GEFs), which act upstream of Rho GTPases, are also involved in the atheromatous pathological process. Despite some research on the role of Rho GEFS in the regulation of atherosclerosis, the number of studies is small relative to studies on the essential function of Rho GEFs. Some studies have preliminarily revealed Rho GEF regulation of atherosclerosis by experiments in vivo and in vitro. Herein, we review the advances in research on the relationship and interaction between Rho GEFs and atheroma to provide a potential reference for further study of atherosclerosis.
Highlights
Atherosclerosis refers to the accumulation of cholesterol, and fatty, fibrous, and inflammatory substances in the arteries intima
The search revealed some research on the role of Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) in atherosclerosis regulation; the number of studies is small compared with the research on the essential function of Rho GEF (Table 1)
The presence of the MCF2L protein was found in human atherosclerotic coronary arterial tissue compared with healthy tissue, and the variant led to impaired MCF2L-Dbl homology (DH)-domaindependent actin stress fiber formation, indicating that MCF2L might play a role in premature atherosclerosis pathobiology [49]
Summary
Atherosclerosis refers to the accumulation of cholesterol, and fatty, fibrous, and inflammatory substances in the arteries intima. Small GTPases activated by Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) partly or completely regulate endothelial cell migration and proliferation and adherens junctions of impermeable surfaces. The search revealed some research on the role of Rho GEFs in atherosclerosis regulation; the number of studies is small compared with the research on the essential function of Rho GEF (Table 1).
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