Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical analysis of a limited number of human tissues representing various stages of atherosclerosis suggested the extent of SMC PTEN loss correlates to lesion severity (Supplementary Figs 6f and 7), indicating atherosclerosis progression may involve a chronic deficiency of SMC PTEN and subsequent loss of SRF transcriptional activity. The gene discussed is SRF; the disease is atherosclerosis.