Expression of recombinant myocardin and its effect on human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell reprogramming into vascular smooth muscle cells

AIM: To optimize the expression and purification of recombinant myocardin, and to explore the effect of recombinant myocardin on the transdifferentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) into vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs). METHODS: The prokaryotic expression vector for myocardin was constructed. The best ways to induce the expression of myocardin recombinant protein and to optimize the isolation and purification methods were explored. Nano-transducers were applied to encapsulate myocardin to form nano-protein complexes. Nano-myocardin was transducted into hBMSCs and the protein transduction efficiency was measured. After transduction of the protein was successful, smooth muscle myosin heavy chain, a specific marker of vSMCs, was detected, and the transformation of hBMSCs into vSMCs was also observed. RESULTS: Compared with the traditional methods, the expression of myocardin recombinant protein was higher by high-concentration induction method, and the new elution method was able to obtain more myocardin recombinant protein. The nano-myocardin complexes were successfully transduced into the hBMSCs and induced the transformation of hBMSCs into vSMCs. CONCLUSION: The recombinant myocardin was efficiently transduced into the cells and reprogrammed hBMSCs into vSMCs.