Single‐Nucleus Multiomic Analyses Identifies Gene Regulatory Dynamics of Phenotypic Modulation in Human Aneurysmal Aortic Root

• Published in: Advanced science Vol. 11; no. 22; pp. e2400444 - n/a
• Main Authors: Liu, Xuanyu, Zeng, Qingyi, Yang, Hang, Li, Wenke, Chen, Qianlong, Yin, Kunlun, Pan, Zihang, Wang, Kai, Luo, Mingyao, Shu, Chang, Zhou, Zhou
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.06.2024; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Aorta - metabolism; Aortic Aneurysm - genetics; Aortic Aneurysm - metabolism; Aortic aneurysms; aortic root aneurysm; Coronary vessels; Datasets; Doppler effect; FOXN3; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling - methods; Genomes; Genomics; Genotype & phenotype; Heart transplants; Humans; Marfan syndrome; Marfan Syndrome - genetics; Marfan Syndrome - metabolism; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - metabolism; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle - metabolism; Pathogenesis; Phenotype; single‐nucleus multiomics; Smooth muscle; spatial transcriptomics; Transcriptome - genetics; aortic root aneurysm; single‐nucleus multiomics; FOXN3; spatial transcriptomics; Marfan syndrome
• ISSN: 2198-3844; 2198-3844
• DOI: 10.1002/advs.202400444

Aortic root aneurysm is a potentially life‐threatening condition that may lead to aortic rupture and is often associated with genetic syndromes, such as Marfan syndrome (MFS). Although studies with MFS animal models have provided valuable insights into the pathogenesis of aortic root aneurysms, this understanding of the transcriptomic and epigenomic landscape in human aortic root tissue remains incomplete. This knowledge gap has impeded the development of effective targeted therapies. Here, this study performs the first integrative analysis of single‐nucleus multiomic (gene expression and chromatin accessibility) and spatial transcriptomic sequencing data of human aortic root tissue under healthy and MFS conditions. Cell‐type‐specific transcriptomic and cis‐regulatory profiles in the human aortic root are identified. Regulatory and spatial dynamics during phenotypic modulation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), the cardinal cell type, are delineated. Moreover, candidate key regulators driving the phenotypic modulation of VSMC, such as FOXN3, TEAD1, BACH2, and BACH1, are identified. In vitro experiments demonstrate that FOXN3 functions as a novel key regulator for maintaining the contractile phenotype of human aortic VSMCs through targeting ACTA2. These findings provide novel insights into the regulatory and spatial dynamics during phenotypic modulation in the aneurysmal aortic root of humans. This study performs an integrative analysis of single‐nucleus multiomic and spatial transcriptomic sequencing data of human aortic root tissue under healthy and Marfan syndrome conditions. Regulatory and spatial dynamics during phenotypic modulation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are delineated. In vitro experiments demonstrate that FOXN3 functions as a novel key regulator for maintaining the contractile phenotype of aortic VSMCs.