Although β-catenin was also expressed in endothelial cells of aorta (Supplementary Fig. 2c), Axin2 expression was not induced in endothelial cells 1 week after AngII infusion (Fig. 2a,b; Supplementary Fig. 2b), suggesting that β-catenin signalling was more potently activated in aortic VSMCs rather than endothelial cells at the early stage of hypertension. This evidence concerns the gene AGT and hypertensive disorder.