Alpha-Smooth Muscle Actin (α-SMA)

Abstract

Alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) is the actin isoform that predominates within vascular smooth-muscle cells and plays an important role in fibrogenesis. Myofibroblasts are metabolically and morphologically distinctive fibroblasts expressing alpha-SMA, and their activation plays a key role in development of the fibrotic response. In an activated state, myofibroblasts cease to proliferate and start to synthesize large amounts of extracellular component proteins. The expression of alpha-SMA correlates with the activation of myofibroblasts. In contrast, the expression of alpha-SMA in cells made quiescent by cell-cell contact was lower than that in cells made quiescent by serum starvation. (The Journal of American Science. 2008;4(4):7-9). (ISSN: 1545-1003).