Effects of shear stress on tissue factor gene expression in endothelial cells

Studying the effects of shear stress on the expression of tissue factor (TF) gene in cultured endothelial cells (ECs), the authors found that a GC-rich region of the promoter that contains EGR-1 and Sp1 sites is responsible for the shear stress induction of TF gene. The increased transcriptional activity is mediated through a novel mechanism of Sp1 phosphorylation, rather than DNA binding.