IRF2BP2 Reduces Macrophage Inflammation and Susceptibility to Atherosclerosis.

Rationale: Inflammation impairs macrophage cholesterol clearance from vascular tissues and promotes atherosclerosis. Inflammatory macrophages suppress expression of the transcription cofactor interferon regulatory factor 2-binding protein 2 (IRF2BP2), and genetic variants near IRF2BP2 associate with ischemic heart disease progression in humans.

Objectives: To test whether IRF2BP2 in macrophages affects atherosclerosis in mice and humans.

Loss of LMO4 in the retina leads to reduction of GABAergic amacrine cells and functional deficits.

Background: LMO4 is a transcription cofactor expressed during retinal development and in amacrine neurons at birth. A previous study in zebrafish reported that morpholino RNA ablation of one of two related genes, LMO4b, increases the size of eyes in embryos. However, the significance of LMO4 in mammalian eye development and function remained unknown since LMO4 null mice die prior to birth.