Mouse aorta smooth muscle cells differentiate into lymphoid tissue organizers upon combined TNFR1/LTBR NF-kB signaling

Cultured mouse aorta endothelial cells (from 8-12 weeks old C57BL/6J mice, passage 2-3) were exposed to phosphate buffered saline (control) or a combination of TNFalpha plus agonistic alpha-LTßR antibody for 24 hours as described in Lötzer et al. 2009. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., in press. Total RNA was extracted and microarrays were prepared. Mouse aorta endothelial cells in tissue culture were stimulated with agonists and subsequently microarray, RT-PCR, and protein assays / analyses were performed.