Hypernuclear acetylation in atherosclerotic lesions and activated vascular smooth muscle cells

Recent studies have implicated acetylation of several nuclear proteins such as histones and p53 on their epsilon-portion of lysine residues in eukaryotic transcription. Here we raised a specific polyclonal antibody against epsilon-acetylated lysine. Using the antibody, we detected hypernuclear acetylation (HNA) in atherosclerotic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Thrombin, a humoral factor known to cause activation and proliferation of VSMCs, strongly potentiated HNA in cultured VSMCs. MAP kinase pathway and a signal coactivator CREB binding protein (CBP) were involved in thrombin-induced HNA of VSMCs. Our results suggest that coactivators cooperating with signal-dependent transcription activators play an important role in atherosclerogenesis via HNA in VSMCs.