Serum response factor is a critical requirement for VEGF signaling in endothelial cells and VEGF-induced angiogenesis JIANYUAN CHAI, MICHAEL K. JONES and ANDRZEJ S. TARNAWSKI 1 Department of Medicine/Gastroenterology, VA Medical Center, Long Beach, California, USA; and the University of California, Irvine, California, USA 1 Correspondence: Gastroenterology Section (111G), VA Medical Center, 5901 E. Seventh St., Long Beach, CA 90822, USA. E-mail: atarnawski@yahoo.com <h3>SPECIFIC AIMS</h3> Angiogenesis is a process of new blood microvessel formation and is regulated by angiogenic growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Angiogenesis plays essential roles in embryonic development, wound healing, and tumor growth. Serum response factor (SRF) is a transcription factor required for embryogenesis and muscle development and function. Its role in endothelial cell biology and angiogenesis has not been explored, nor has the effect of VEGF on SRF activation. This study was aimed to determine the role of SRF in VEGF-activated endothelial cell migration and proliferation and in vitro and in vivo angiogenesis; and to explore the effect of VEGF on SRF expression and activation. <h3>PRINCIPAL FINDINGS</h3> <h3>1. SRF is required for VEGF-induced in vitro angiogenesis</h3> To determine whether SRF is required for VEGF-induced angiogenesis, we introduced SRF antisense oligonucleotides
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