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Krüppel-like Factors KLF2, KLF4, and KLF5: Central Regulators of Smooth Muscle Function

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The Biology of Krüppel-like Factors

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Abstract

The vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) plays a vital role in mammalian physiology through its regulation of blood pressure via contraction and relaxation. In response to vascular injury, it is capable of rapidly and reversibly modulating its pheno-type to a cell type capable of performing a number of functions key to wound healing and vascular inflammation including migration, proliferation, matrix synthesis, chem-okine production, and protein synthesis. Recent work has identified three Krüppel-like factors—KLF2, KLF4, KLF5—as intricately involved in all of these processes. This review provides a brief overview of the role these factors play in regulating these and other key SMC functions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, 415 Lane Road, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA

    Christopher W. Moehle & Gary K. Owens

  2. Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA

    Christopher W. Moehle & Gary K. Owens

Authors
  1. Christopher W. Moehle
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  2. Gary K. Owens
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan

    Ryozo Nagai

  2. Division of Liver Diseases, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1425 Madison Avenue Room 1170C, Box 1123, New York, NY, 10029, USA

    Scott L. Friedman

  3. Research Institute, International Medical Center of Japan, 162-8655, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Masato Kasuga

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Moehle, C.W., Owens, G.K. (2009). Krüppel-like Factors KLF2, KLF4, and KLF5: Central Regulators of Smooth Muscle Function. In: Nagai, R., Friedman, S.L., Kasuga, M. (eds) The Biology of Krüppel-like Factors. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-87775-2_15

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