Regulation of vascular smooth muscle proliferation and migration by beta2-chimaerin, a non-protein kinase C phorbol ester receptor.

The proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) are important aspects of atherogenesis. Activated growth factor signaling in injured vessels subsequently promotes a number of intracellular events resulting in the phenotypic modulation of SMC. Here, we investigated the role of beta2-chimaerin, a non-protein kinase C phorbol ester receptor with Rac-GTPase-activating protein activity, in growth factor-stimulated SMC.