COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR REGULATION OF SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS AND BLOOD PRESSURE
The invention encompasses a composition for regulating smooth muscle cells. In particular, the invention encompasses a vector comprising a smooth muscle promoter operably-linked to a nucleic acid encoding a calcium-activated potassium channel.
1 . A vector comprising a smooth muscle specific promoter operably linked to a nucleic acid sequence encoding a calcium-activated potassium channel.
2 . The vector of claim 1 , wherein the smooth muscle specific promoter is a promoter selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO.:1, SEQ ID NO.:2, SEQ ID NO.:3, and SEQ ID NO.:9.
3 . The vector of claim 1 , wherein the promoter is a human promoter.
4 . The vector of claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence encoding a calcium-activated potassium channel encodes a BKα subunit.
5 . The vector of claim 4 , wherein the BKα subunit is a human BKα subunit.
6 . The vector of claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence encoding a calcium-activated potassium channel is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO.:4, SEQ ID NO.:6, SEQ ID NO.:7, SEQ ID NO.:8 and a coding sequence of any of the foregoing.
7 . The vector of claim 1 , wherein the vector comprises an AAV vector.
8 . The vector of claim 5 , wherein the vector comprises SEQ ID NO.: 5.
9 . A method for regulating the blood pressure of a mouse, the method comprising administering to the mouse a vector comprising a smooth muscle specific promoter operably linked to a nucleic acid sequence encoding a calcium-activated potassium channel.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the smooth muscle specific promoter is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO.:1, SEQ ID NO.:2, SEQ ID NO.:3, and SEQ ID NO.:9.
11 . The vector of claim 9 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence encoding a calcium-activated potassium channel encodes a BKα subunit.
12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence encoding a calcium-activated potassium channel is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO.: 4, SEQ ID NO.: 6, SEQ ID NO.: 7, SEQ ID NO.: 8 and a coding sequence of any of the foregoing.
13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the vector comprises an AAV vector.
14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the vector comprises SEQ ID NO.: 5.
15 . A method of expressing a calcium-activated potassium channel in a smooth muscle cell, the method comprising contacting the smooth muscle cell with a vector comprising a smooth muscle specific promoter operably-linked to a nucleic acid sequence encoding a calcium-activated potassium channel.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the smooth muscle specific promoter is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO.:1, SEQ ID NO.:2, SEQ ID NO.:3, and SEQ ID NO.:9.
17 . The vector of claim 15 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence encoding a calcium-activated potassium channel encodes a BKα subunit.
18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence encoding a calcium-activated potassium channel is SEQ ID NO.: 4, SEQ ID NO.: 6, SEQ ID NO.: 7, SEQ ID NO.: 8 and a coding sequence of any of the foregoing.
19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the vector comprises an AAV vector.
20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the vector comprises SEQ ID NO.: 5.