Transcriptomics signature of human heart vascular pericytes

Pericytes (PC) are abundant yet remain the most enigmatic and ill-defined cell population in the heart. Here, we investigated whether PC can be reprogrammed to aid neovascularisation of the heart post-myocardial infarction. We discovered that culture of human cardiac PC for 10 days in the presence of an inhibitor of ERK1/2 signalling (PD0325901, specific MEK1/2 inhibitor) induces the PC switch towards a vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC)-like phenotype. Differentiated PC became more proangiogenic, more responsive to vasoactive agents, and insensitive to chemoattractants. RNA-Sequencing revealed transcripts marking the PD0325901-induced transition into proangiogenic, stationary VSMC-like cells. We analysed 3 primary cultures of human cardiac PC (extracted from 3 adult patients). PC were cultured for 10 days with the MEKi PD0325901 (250 nM, exchanging medium every 2 days) to induce the PC differentiation into VSMC-like cells. Control PC were cultured in parallel using the drug vehicle (DMSO). After 10 days, the total RNA was collected for RNA-Seq. Cells are named CP24, CP25, CP27. We also included two samples of human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (CASMC) as reference control for the differentiated PC.