Journal: bioRxiv
Article Title: Sotatercept Reverses SIN3a Deficiency-Driven PAH by Reprogramming BMPR2/TGF-β-HIF-1α Signaling Pathways
doi: 10.64898/2026.02.03.703590
Figure Lengend Snippet: (A) Quantitative RT-PCR and immunoblot analysis confirming efficient SIN3a overexpression at the mRNA and protein levels in human proliferating failed donor FD-PASMCs following adenoviral transduction either with an empty vector (Ad-Control) or an adenoviral vector encoding human SIN3a (Ad-SIN3a) for 48 hours. (B) RNA sequencing workflow and analysis in SIN3a-overexpressing PASMCs and controls. ( C ) Heatmap of the top 5,000 DEGs illustrates a broad reprogramming of gene expression, consistent with SIN3a’s role as a master transcriptional regulator. (D) GAGE pathway enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes reveals significant enrichment of pathways associated with TGF-β signaling, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), hypoxia, and ROS stress responses in SIN3a-overexpressing PASMCs. Functional interaction network of enriched pathways reveals SIN3a-driven upregulation (green) and downregulation (red) of signaling cascades, prominently involving extracellular matrix (ECM) dynamics and cellular stress responses . (E) WikiPathways enrichment identifies diverse regulatory modules following SIN3a overexpression, including nuclear receptor signaling and apoptotic pathways, implicating a multifaceted transcriptional role. ( F ) Cross-comparison with human PAH RNAseq datasets identifies a shared set of dysregulated genes modulated by SIN3a. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) demonstrates significant upregulation of gene sets linked to TGF-β signaling, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and hypoxia. (G-I) Functional annotation of overlapping genes reveals enrichment in mitochondrial dysfunction, HIF1α activation, and TNF receptor signaling, implicating SIN3a in core disease-associated networks.
Article Snippet: In vivo, smooth muscle–specific SIN3a deletion exacerbated Sugen/hypoxia-induced PAH, increasing right ventricular systolic pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy, pulmonary vascular remodeling, and fibrosis.
Techniques: Quantitative RT-PCR, Western Blot, Over Expression, Transduction, Plasmid Preparation, Control, RNA Sequencing, Gene Expression, Functional Assay, Comparison, RNA sequencing, Activation Assay