Altered Smooth Muscle Cell Force Generation as a Driver of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Dissections

The importance of maintaining contractile function in aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) is evident by the fact that heterozygous mutations in the major structural proteins or kinases controlling contraction lead to the formation of aneurysms of the ascending thoracic aorta that predispose to life-threatening aortic dissections. Force generation by SMC requires ATP-dependent cyclic interactions between filaments composed of SMC-specific isoforms...