Minerva Garcia-Barrio's Research Laboratory

The dynamic process of vascular remodeling involves changes in the proliferative state, cell fate and migration of the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Ultimately, these effects are brought about by changes in the transcription profile of genes expressed in these cells. Of particular interest are lineage specific transcription factors (TFs) of the basic helix-loop-helix family (bHLH). These TFs have been shown to regulate proliferation and differentiation in multiple tissues as well as play a crucial role in development. The Id proteins have an HLH domain but lack the basic domain responsible for DNA binding. They behave as dominant negative regulators of the bHLH transcription factors through the formation of heterodimers that fail to bind DNA. In this research group, we are interested in elucidating the role of the Id proteins as modulators of vascular remodeling. Recent studies from our laboratory have documented that Id proteins are intimately involved in the regulation of vascular cell growth and apoptosis. We are using yeast-two hybrid along with other genomic and proteomic approaches to identify the profile of partners for the Id proteins and downstream target genes that may mediate their function both in normal and pathological states. It is our hope that the elucidation of the gene regulatory networks that govern vascular remodeling and lesion formation will foster the development of novel therapeutic interventions capable of preventing the diseased state.