Growth suppression of human coronary vascular smooth muscle cells by gene transfer of the transcription factor E2F-1.

BACKGROUND: The transcription factor E2F-1 promotes S-phase entry and death in transformed cells and primary cardiomyocytes. We tested the hypothesis that overexpression of E2F-1 forces growth-arrested human coronary vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to enter the S phase, undergo apoptosis, and thereby regulate VSMC growth. METHODS AND RESULTS: Early-passage (8 times. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of the transcription factor E2F-1 regulates growth of human coronary VSMCs by forcing the cells to enter the S phase and then to die. Cell death appears to involve caspase 3-like activity, which, in the VSMCs, is markedly increased by overexpression of E2F-1.