Ro Seungil
Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, NV, USA.
J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2016 Apr 30;22(2):193-200. doi: 10.5056/jnm15183.
Serum response factor (SRF) is a master transcription factor of the actin cytoskeleton that binds to highly conserved CArG boxes located within the majority of smooth muscle cell (SMC)-restricted promoters/enhancers. Although most studies of SRF focus on skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and vascular SMCs, SRF research has recently expanded into the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Genome scale analyses of GI SMC transcriptome and CArG boxes (CArGome) have identified new SRF target genes. In addition to circular and longitudinal smooth muscle layers, SRF is also expressed in GI mucosa and cancers. In the GI tract, SRF is the central regulator of genes involved in apoptosis, dedifferentiation, proliferation, and migration of cells. Since SRF is the cell phenotypic modulator, it may play an essential role in the development of myopathy, hypertrophy, ulcers, gastric and colon cancers within the GI tract. Given the multifunctional role displayed by SRF in the digestive system, SRF has received more attention emerging as a potential therapeutic target. This review summarizes the findings in SRF research pertaining to the GI tract and provides valuable insight into future directions.
血清反应因子（SRF）是肌动蛋白细胞骨架的主要转录因子，它与位于大多数平滑肌细胞（SMC）特异性启动子/增强子内的高度保守的CArG盒结合。尽管大多数关于SRF的研究集中在骨骼肌、心肌和血管平滑肌细胞上，但SRF的研究最近已扩展到胃肠道（GI）系统。胃肠道平滑肌细胞转录组和CArG盒（CArGome）的基因组规模分析已经确定了新的SRF靶基因。除了环形和纵行平滑肌层外，SRF在胃肠道黏膜和癌症中也有表达。在胃肠道中，SRF是参与细胞凋亡、去分化、增殖和迁移的基因的核心调节因子。由于SRF是细胞表型调节剂，它可能在胃肠道肌病、肥大、溃疡、胃癌和结肠癌的发展中起重要作用。鉴于SRF在消化系统中发挥的多功能作用，SRF作为潜在的治疗靶点已受到更多关注。本综述总结了与胃肠道相关的SRF研究结果，并为未来的研究方向提供了有价值的见解。
