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(Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2001;21:47.)
© 2001 American Heart Association, Inc.

Vascular Biology

Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein (Thrombospondin-5) Is Expressed by Human Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Reimer Riessen; Michael Fenchel; Hui Chen; Dorothea I. Axel; Karl R. Karsch; Jack Lawler

From the Department of Medicine III (Cardiology) (R.R., M.F., D.I.A., K.R.K.), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; and Department of Pathology (H.C., J.L.), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.

Correspondence to Reimer Riessen, MD, Department of Medicine III (Cardiology), University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Str 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany. E-mail reimer.riessen{at}uni-tuebingen.de

Abstract—Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP/thrombospondin [TSP]-5) belongs to the thrombospondin gene family and is an extracellular glycoprotein found predominantly in cartilage and tendon. To date, there is limited evidence of COMP/TSP-5 expression outside of the skeletal system. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of COMP/TSP-5 in cultured human vascular smooth muscle cells and human arteries. COMP/TSP-5 mRNA and protein expression was detected in cultured human vascular smooth muscle cells with both Northern blotting and immunoprecipitation. Serum, as well as transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1 and TGF-ß3, stimulated COMP/TSP-5 mRNA expression. COMP/TSP-5 was detected in normal as well as atherosclerotic and restenotic human arteries with immunohistochemistry. The majority of COMP/TSP-5 was expressed in close proximity to vascular smooth muscle cells. In vitro attachment assays demonstrated strong adhesion of smooth muscle cells to COMP/TSP-5–coated surfaces, with the majority of cells spreading and forming stress fibers. In addition, COMP/TSP-5 supported the migration of smooth muscle cells in vitro. The present study shows that COMP/TSP-5 is present in human arteries and may play a role in the adhesion and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells during vasculogenesis and in vascular disease settings such as atherosclerosis.

Key Words: Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein • thrombospondin • extracellular matrix • smooth muscle cells

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