RNA-seq Identifies Basal and Inducible Genes Reliant Upon Ser26 in the Zinc Finger Transcription Factor Early Growth Response-1 Responding to Fibroblast Growth Factor-2

Early growth response (Egr-1) is an inducible master regulatory transcription factor that orchestrates gene expression in vascular endothelial cells and a range of other cell types. We recently determined that Ser26 in Egr-1 undergoes phosphorylation and plays a critical functional role in a range of pro-angiogenic processes. To better understand the effect of Ser26 on Egr-1-dependent gene expression, in this study, we performed RNA-seq and bioinformatics analysis with human microvascular endothelial cells bearing a germline mutation (M26) in Ser26 exposed to the mitogen and chemoattractant fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) as compared with wildtype (WT) cells.