Fig 8. Schematic of miR-214-mediated effects on PAH-related and hypoxia-induced SMC phenotypic modulation and de-differentiation.

During vascular homeostasis, SMCs maintain a contractile/differentiated phenotype, which changes to a pro-proliferative, synthetic or de-differentiated phenotype upon injury. Hypoxia-induced upregulation of miR-214 exerts direct suppression both at the level of MEF2C and LMOD1 to mediate phenotype switching and pro-proliferative response associated with vascular remodeling.