As reported in today’s online version of Circulation Research the group of Dr. Stefanie Oess has identified the F-BAR protein NOSTRIN as a crucial factor in the development of endothelial dysfunction, hypertension and diastolic heart failure.

In this study the authors show that NOSTRIN is necessary for the correct positioning of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M3R at the plasma membrane of endothelial cells.

In the absence of NOSTRIN the function of the M3R was markedly impaired, resulting in abolition of the calcium response to acetylcholine, an impaired activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and the inhibition of vascular relaxation, leading to hypertension and diastolic heart failure.

This work was funded by the SFB 834 and a collaboration with the groups of Ingrid Fleming (Frankfurt) and Ralph Schermuly (Gießen).