Post-transcriptional gene regulation by RNA-binding proteins in vascular endothelial dysfunction

Endothelial cell dysfunction is a term which implies the dysregulation of normal endothelial cell functions, including impairment of the barrier functions, control of vascular tone, disturbance of proliferative and migratory capacity of endothelial cells, as well as control of leukocyte trafficking. Endothelial dysfunction is an early step in vascular inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetic vascular complications, sepsis-induced or severe virus infection-induced organ injuries. The expressions of inflammatory cytokines and vascular adhesion molecules induced by various stimuli, such as modified lipids, smoking, advanced glycation end products and bacteria toxin, significantly contribute to the development of endothelial dysfunction. The transcriptional regulation of inflammatory cytokines and vascular adhesion molecules has been well-studied. However, the regulation of those gene expressions at post-transcriptional level is emerging. RNA-binding proteins have emerged as critical regulators of gene expression acting predominantly at the post-transcriptional level in microRNA-dependent or independent manners. This review summarizes the latest insights into the roles of RNA-binding proteins in controlling vascular endothelial cell functions and their contribution to the pathogenesis of vascular inflammatory diseases.