Beyond transcription: RNA-binding proteins steering angiogenesis

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, is essential for development, tissue repair, and tumorigenesis. As a delicately orchestrated morphogenesis process, angiogenesis is driven by endothelial cell (EC) migration and proliferation in response to environmental signals such as angiogenic factors. Both the environmental signals from non-ECs and their corresponding receptors and downstream pathways in ECs are key for angiogenesis. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play a critical role in regulating gene expression posttranscriptionally. Their complex interactions with RNA molecules determine RNA fate, ultimately influencing protein expression and cell behavior. Although RBPs' regulation of gene expression at the posttranscriptional level is relatively understudied in vascular biology, recent studies highlight their significance in modulating angiogenic gene pathways in both ECs and non-ECs. This review summarizes recent findings and identifies knowledge gaps regarding the roles of RBPs in recognizing and regulating both canonical mRNAs and chemically modified mRNAs during angiogenesis, with a focus on molecular mechanisms of how RBPs regulate their target mRNAs.