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Related Concept Videos

Smooth Muscle Contraction01:25

Smooth Muscle Contraction

Smooth muscle contraction is a complex process vital for various bodily functions, from maintaining blood vessel tension to facilitating the movement of food through the digestive tract. Unlike striated muscles, smooth muscle contraction begins more slowly and lasts longer.
The onset of contraction is triggered by an increase in calcium ions within the sarcoplasm, similar to the process in striated muscle. However, smooth muscles have a relatively smaller reservoir of the sarcoplasmic...
Structure and Organization of Smooth Muscles01:13

Structure and Organization of Smooth Muscles

Smooth muscle tissue is a type of muscle tissue that can be found lining various vital organs in the human body, including the lungs, blood vessels, digestive tract, and respiratory tract. This type of tissue is responsible for regulating the movements of these organs, playing crucial roles in the functioning of various systems, including the vascular, digestive, respiratory, and urinary systems.
Structure of smooth muscle cell
Smooth muscle cells are spindle-shaped with tapering ends and a...
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker proteins that...
Cellular Differentiation00:57

Cellular Differentiation

How does a complex organism such as a human develop from a single cell? It all starts from a single fertilized egg which gives rise to a vast array of cell types, such as nerve cells, muscle cells, and epithelial cells that characterize the adult? Throughout development and adulthood, cellular differentiation leads cells to assume their final morphology and physiology. Differentiation is the process by which unspecialized cells become specialized to carry out distinct functions.
A zygote is a...
iPS Cell Differentiation01:22

iPS Cell Differentiation

The ability of induced pluripotent stem cells or iPSCs to differentiate into most body cell types has stimulated repair and regenerative medicine research over the past few decades. iPSC-derived blood cells, hepatocytes, beta islet cells, cardiomyocytes, neurons, and other cell types can repair injuries or regenerate damaged tissue in diseases such as diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders.
Differentiation of Common Myeloid Progenitor Cells01:15

Differentiation of Common Myeloid Progenitor Cells

Common myeloid progenitors (CMPs) are oligopotent cells that can differentiate into granulocytes and macrophages. Granulocytes and macrophages are essential for protecting the body against bacterial, viral, or fungal infections. They migrate from the bone marrow into the circulating blood to reach specific tissue sites where they differentiate and help in immune surveillance. However, they survive only for a few days and must be continuously made available to the organism to maintain a robust...

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Spatial expression of myocardin protein in normal and disease states.

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Loss of the Coronary Artery Disease Risk Gene <i>Leiomodin1</i> in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Triggers Rapid Onset Coronary Atherosclerosis.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

Isolation of Primary Patient-specific Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells and Semiquantitative Real-time Contraction Measurements In Vitro
08:28

Isolation of Primary Patient-specific Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells and Semiquantitative Real-time Contraction Measurements In Vitro

Published on: February 15, 2022

Vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation-2010.

Joseph M Miano1

  • 1Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642, USA.

Journal of Biomedical Research
|April 5, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are key to gene expression flexibility. Key factors like myocardin and retinoids are crucial for understanding VSMC differentiation and phenotype.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) exhibit flexible gene expression.
  • VSMC development involves complex signaling cascades, transcription factors, and microRNAs.
  • Understanding VSMC differentiation is critical for vascular health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in vascular smooth muscle cell biology.
  • To highlight the roles of myocardin, serum response factor, and retinoids in VSMC differentiation.
  • To explore the molecular circuitry defining the VSMC phenotype.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of key discoveries in VSMC biology.
  • Analysis of the roles of transcription factors and microRNAs in VSMC development.

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Quantitative Analysis of Cellular Composition in Advanced Atherosclerotic Lesions of Smooth Muscle Cell Lineage-Tracing Mice
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Quantitative Analysis of Cellular Composition in Advanced Atherosclerotic Lesions of Smooth Muscle Cell Lineage-Tracing Mice

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Using In Vivo and Tissue and Cell Explant Approaches to Study the Morphogenesis and Pathogenesis of the Embryonic and Perinatal Aorta
10:57

Using In Vivo and Tissue and Cell Explant Approaches to Study the Morphogenesis and Pathogenesis of the Embryonic and Perinatal Aorta

Published on: September 12, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 12, 2026

Isolation of Primary Patient-specific Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells and Semiquantitative Real-time Contraction Measurements In Vitro
08:28

Isolation of Primary Patient-specific Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells and Semiquantitative Real-time Contraction Measurements In Vitro

Published on: February 15, 2022

Quantitative Analysis of Cellular Composition in Advanced Atherosclerotic Lesions of Smooth Muscle Cell Lineage-Tracing Mice
09:06

Quantitative Analysis of Cellular Composition in Advanced Atherosclerotic Lesions of Smooth Muscle Cell Lineage-Tracing Mice

Published on: February 20, 2019

Using In Vivo and Tissue and Cell Explant Approaches to Study the Morphogenesis and Pathogenesis of the Embryonic and Perinatal Aorta
10:57

Using In Vivo and Tissue and Cell Explant Approaches to Study the Morphogenesis and Pathogenesis of the Embryonic and Perinatal Aorta

Published on: September 12, 2017

  • Examination of the impact of myocardin and retinoids on VSMC differentiation.

    • Main Results:

    • Myocardin and serum response factor are central to VSMC differentiation.
    • Retinoids influence vessel wall remodeling and VSMC phenotype.
    • Signaling pathways governing VSMC gene expression are increasingly understood.

    Conclusions:

    • Significant progress has been made in understanding VSMC biology.
    • Myocardin and retinoids are critical regulators of VSMC phenotype.
    • Further research into VSMC signaling will advance vascular regenerative medicine.