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Baheux Blin M, Loreau V, Schnorrer F, Mangeol P. PatternJ: an ImageJ toolset for the automated and quantitative analysis of regular spatial patterns found in sarcomeres, axons, somites, and more. Biol Open 2024; 13:bio060548. [PMID: 38887972 PMCID: PMC11212633 DOI: 10.1242/bio.060548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Regular spatial patterns are ubiquitous forms of organization in nature. In animals, regular patterns can be found from the cellular scale to the tissue scale, and from early stages of development to adulthood. To understand the formation of these patterns, how they assemble and mature, and how they are affected by perturbations, a precise quantitative description of the patterns is essential. However, accessible tools that offer in-depth analysis without the need for computational skills are lacking for biologists. Here, we present PatternJ, a novel toolset to analyze regular one-dimensional patterns precisely and automatically. This toolset, to be used with the popular imaging processing program ImageJ/Fiji, facilitates the extraction of key geometric features within and between pattern repeats in static images and time-lapse series. We validate PatternJ with simulated data and test it on images of sarcomeres from insect muscles and contracting cardiomyocytes, actin rings in neurons, and somites from zebrafish embryos obtained using confocal fluorescence microscopy, STORM, electron microscopy, and brightfield imaging. We show that the toolset delivers subpixel feature extraction reliably even with images of low signal-to-noise ratio. PatternJ's straightforward use and functionalities make it valuable for various scientific fields requiring quantitative one-dimensional pattern analysis, including the sarcomere biology of muscles or the patterning of mammalian axons, speeding up discoveries with the bonus of high reproducibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélina Baheux Blin
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, IBDM-UMR7288, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Vincent Loreau
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, IBDM-UMR7288, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Frank Schnorrer
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, IBDM-UMR7288, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Pierre Mangeol
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, IBDM-UMR7288, Marseille 13009, France
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2
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Zhu Y, Ackers-Johnson M, Shanmugam MK, Pakkiri LS, Drum CL, Yanpu C, Kim J, Paltzer WG, Mahmoud AI, Wen Tan WL, Lee MCJ, Jianming J, Luu DAT, Ng SL, Li PYQ, Anhui W, Rong Q, Ong GJX, Ng Yu T, Haigh JJ, Tiang Z, Richards AM, Foo R. Asparagine Synthetase Marks a Distinct Dependency Threshold for Cardiomyocyte Dedifferentiation. Circulation 2024; 149:1833-1851. [PMID: 38586957 PMCID: PMC11147732 DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.123.063965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adult mammalian cardiomyocytes have limited proliferative capacity, but in specifically induced contexts they traverse through cell-cycle reentry, offering the potential for heart regeneration. Endogenous cardiomyocyte proliferation is preceded by cardiomyocyte dedifferentiation (CMDD), wherein adult cardiomyocytes revert to a less matured state that is distinct from the classical myocardial fetal stress gene response associated with heart failure. However, very little is known about CMDD as a defined cardiomyocyte cell state in transition. METHODS Here, we leveraged 2 models of in vitro cultured adult mouse cardiomyocytes and in vivo adeno-associated virus serotype 9 cardiomyocyte-targeted delivery of reprogramming factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and Myc) in adult mice to study CMDD. We profiled their transcriptomes using RNA sequencing, in combination with multiple published data sets, with the aim of identifying a common denominator for tracking CMDD. RESULTS RNA sequencing and integrated analysis identified Asparagine Synthetase (Asns) as a unique molecular marker gene well correlated with CMDD, required for increased asparagine and also for distinct fluxes in other amino acids. Although Asns overexpression in Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and Myc cardiomyocytes augmented hallmarks of CMDD, Asns deficiency led to defective regeneration in the neonatal mouse myocardial infarction model, increased cell death of cultured adult cardiomyocytes, and reduced cell cycle in Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and Myc cardiomyocytes, at least in part through disrupting the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 pathway. CONCLUSIONS We discovered a novel gene Asns as both a molecular marker and an essential mediator, marking a distinct threshold that appears in common for at least 4 models of CMDD, and revealing an Asns/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 axis dependency for dedifferentiating cardiomyocytes. Further study will be needed to extrapolate and assess its relevance to other cell state transitions as well as in heart regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yike Zhu
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme, National University Health Systems, Singapore
| | - Matthew Ackers-Johnson
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme, National University Health Systems, Singapore
| | - Muthu K Shanmugam
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme, National University Health Systems, Singapore
| | - Leroy Sivappiragasam Pakkiri
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme, National University Health Systems, Singapore
| | - Chester Lee Drum
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme, National University Health Systems, Singapore
| | - Chen Yanpu
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Johnny Kim
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner site Rhein/Main, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Wyatt G. Paltzer
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Ahmed I. Mahmoud
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Wilson Lek Wen Tan
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme, National University Health Systems, Singapore
| | - Mick Chang Jie Lee
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme, National University Health Systems, Singapore
| | - Jiang Jianming
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme, National University Health Systems, Singapore
| | - Danh Anh Tuan Luu
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme, National University Health Systems, Singapore
| | - Shi Ling Ng
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme, National University Health Systems, Singapore
| | - Peter Yi Qing Li
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme, National University Health Systems, Singapore
| | - Wang Anhui
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Centre, Peking University
- State Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodelling, Peking University
| | - Qi Rong
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Centre, Peking University
- State Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodelling, Peking University
| | - Gabriel Jing Xiang Ong
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme, National University Health Systems, Singapore
| | - Timothy Ng Yu
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme, National University Health Systems, Singapore
| | - Jody J. Haigh
- CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- VIB, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Zenia Tiang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme, National University Health Systems, Singapore
| | - A. Mark Richards
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme, National University Health Systems, Singapore
- Christchurch Heart Institute, University of Otago, New Zealand
| | - Roger Foo
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme, National University Health Systems, Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore
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3
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Sun Y, Liu X, Huang W, Le S, Yan J. Structural domain in the Titin N2B-us region binds to FHL2 in a force-activation dependent manner. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4496. [PMID: 38802383 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48828-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Titin N2B unique sequence (N2B-us) is a 572 amino acid sequence that acts as an elastic spring to regulate muscle passive elasticity. It is thought to lack stable tertiary structures and is a force-bearing region that is regulated by mechanical stretching. In this study, the conformation of N2B-us and its interaction with four-and-a-half LIM domain protein 2 (FHL2) are investigated using AlphaFold2 predictions and single-molecule experimental validation. Surprisingly, a stable alpha/beta structural domain is predicted and confirmed in N2B-us that can be mechanically unfolded at forces of a few piconewtons. Additionally, more than twenty FHL2 LIM domain binding sites are predicted to spread throughout N2B-us. Single-molecule manipulation experiments reveals the force-dependent binding of FHL2 to the N2B-us structural domain. These findings provide insights into the mechano-sensing functions of N2B-us and its interactions with FHL2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuze Sun
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xuyao Liu
- Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wenmao Huang
- Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shimin Le
- Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jie Yan
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Centre for Biological Imaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou, China.
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4
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Garg A, Jansen S, Zhang R, Lavine KJ, Greenberg MJ. Dilated cardiomyopathy-associated skeletal muscle actin (ACTA1) mutation R256H disrupts actin structure and function and causes cardiomyocyte hypocontractility. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.10.583979. [PMID: 38559046 PMCID: PMC10979883 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.10.583979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Skeletal muscle actin (ACTA1) mutations are a prevalent cause of skeletal myopathies consistent with ACTA1's high expression in skeletal muscle. Rare de novo mutations in ACTA1 associated with combined cardiac and skeletal myopathies have been reported, but ACTA1 represents only ~20% of the total actin pool in cardiomyocytes, making its role in cardiomyopathy controversial. Here we demonstrate how a mutation in an actin isoform expressed at low levels in cardiomyocytes can cause cardiomyopathy by focusing on a unique ACTA1 mutation, R256H. We previously identified this mutation in multiple family members with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), who had reduced systolic function without clinical skeletal myopathy. Using a battery of multiscale biophysical tools, we show that R256H has potent functional effects on ACTA1 function at the molecular scale and in human cardiomyocytes. Importantly, we demonstrate that R256H acts in a dominant manner, where the incorporation of small amounts of mutant protein into thin filaments is sufficient to disrupt molecular contractility, and that this effect is dependent on the presence of troponin and tropomyosin. To understand the structural basis of this change in regulation, we resolved a structure of R256H filaments using Cryo-EM, and we see alterations in actin's structure that have the potential to disrupt interactions with tropomyosin. Finally, we show that ACTA1R256H/+ human induced pluripotent stem cell cardiomyocytes demonstrate reduced contractility and sarcomeric disorganization. Taken together, we demonstrate that R256H has multiple effects on ACTA1 function that are sufficient to cause reduced contractility and establish a likely causative relationship between ACTA1 R256H and clinical cardiomyopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Garg
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine Johns Hopkins University Baltimore MD USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Silvia Jansen
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Kory J. Lavine
- Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Michael J. Greenberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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5
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Arslan U, Brescia M, Meraviglia V, Nahon DM, van Helden RWJ, Stein JM, van den Hil FE, van Meer BJ, Vila Cuenca M, Mummery CL, Orlova VV. Vascularized hiPSC-derived 3D cardiac microtissue on chip. Stem Cell Reports 2023; 18:1394-1404. [PMID: 37390826 PMCID: PMC10362508 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2023.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional vasculature is essential for delivering nutrients, oxygen, and cells to the heart and removing waste products. Here, we developed an in vitro vascularized human cardiac microtissue (MT) model based on human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in a microfluidic organ-on-chip by coculturing hiPSC-derived, pre-vascularized, cardiac MTs with vascular cells within a fibrin hydrogel. We showed that vascular networks spontaneously formed in and around these MTs and were lumenized and interconnected through anastomosis. Anastomosis was fluid flow dependent: continuous perfusion increased vessel density and thus enhanced the formation of the hybrid vessels. Vascularization further improved endothelial cell (EC)-cardiomyocyte communication via EC-derived paracrine factors, such as nitric oxide, and resulted in an enhanced inflammatory response. The platform sets the stage for studies on how organ-specific EC barriers respond to drugs or inflammatory stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulgu Arslan
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333ZC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marcella Brescia
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333ZC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Viviana Meraviglia
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333ZC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Dennis M Nahon
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333ZC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ruben W J van Helden
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333ZC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen M Stein
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333ZC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Francijna E van den Hil
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333ZC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Berend J van Meer
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333ZC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marc Vila Cuenca
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333ZC Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Christine L Mummery
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333ZC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Valeria V Orlova
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333ZC Leiden, the Netherlands.
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6
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Nguyen PD, Gooijers I, Campostrini G, Verkerk AO, Honkoop H, Bouwman M, de Bakker DEM, Koopmans T, Vink A, Lamers GEM, Shakked A, Mars J, Mulder AA, Chocron S, Bartscherer K, Tzahor E, Mummery CL, de Boer TP, Bellin M, Bakkers J. Interplay between calcium and sarcomeres directs cardiomyocyte maturation during regeneration. Science 2023; 380:758-764. [PMID: 37200435 DOI: 10.1126/science.abo6718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Zebrafish hearts can regenerate by replacing damaged tissue with new cardiomyocytes. Although the steps leading up to the proliferation of surviving cardiomyocytes have been extensively studied, little is known about the mechanisms that control proliferation and redifferentiation to a mature state. We found that the cardiac dyad, a structure that regulates calcium handling and excitation-contraction coupling, played a key role in the redifferentiation process. A component of the cardiac dyad called leucine-rich repeat-containing 10 (Lrrc10) acted as a negative regulator of proliferation, prevented cardiomegaly, and induced redifferentiation. We found that its function was conserved in mammalian cardiomyocytes. This study highlights the importance of the underlying mechanisms required for heart regeneration and their application to the generation of fully functional cardiomyocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phong D Nguyen
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Iris Gooijers
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Giulia Campostrini
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Arie O Verkerk
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Experimental Cardiology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Hessel Honkoop
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Mara Bouwman
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Dennis E M de Bakker
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Leibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), Jena, Germany
| | - Tim Koopmans
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Department of Animal Physiology, Osnabrueck University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Aryan Vink
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Gerda E M Lamers
- Core Facility Microscopy, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Avraham Shakked
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Jonas Mars
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Aat A Mulder
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Sonja Chocron
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Kerstin Bartscherer
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Department of Animal Physiology, Osnabrueck University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Eldad Tzahor
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Christine L Mummery
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Teun P de Boer
- Department of Medical Physiology, Division of Heart and Lungs, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Milena Bellin
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padua, Italy
| | - Jeroen Bakkers
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Division of Pediatrics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Mostert D, Groenen B, Klouda L, Passier R, Goumans MJ, Kurniawan NA, Bouten CVC. Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes align under cyclic strain when guided by cardiac fibroblasts. APL Bioeng 2022; 6:046108. [PMID: 36567768 PMCID: PMC9771596 DOI: 10.1063/5.0108914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The myocardium is a mechanically active tissue typified by anisotropy of the resident cells [cardiomyocytes (CMs) and cardiac fibroblasts (cFBs)] and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Upon ischemic injury, the anisotropic tissue is replaced by disorganized scar tissue, resulting in loss of coordinated contraction. Efforts to re-establish tissue anisotropy in the injured myocardium are hampered by a lack of understanding of how CM and/or cFB structural organization is affected by the two major physical cues inherent in the myocardium: ECM organization and cyclic mechanical strain. Herein, we investigate the singular and combined effect of ECM (dis)organization and cyclic strain in a two-dimensional human in vitro co-culture model of the myocardial microenvironment. We show that (an)isotropic ECM protein patterning can guide the orientation of CMs and cFBs, both in mono- and co-culture. Subsequent application of uniaxial cyclic strain-mimicking the local anisotropic deformation of beating myocardium-causes no effect when applied parallel to the anisotropic ECM. However, when cultured on isotropic substrates, cFBs, but not CMs, orient away from the direction of cyclic uniaxial strain (strain avoidance). In contrast, CMs show strain avoidance via active remodeling of their sarcomeres only when co-cultured with at least 30% cFBs. Paracrine signaling or N-cadherin-mediated communication between CMs and cFBs was no contributing factor. Our findings suggest that the mechanoresponsive cFBs provide structural guidance for CM orientation and elongation. Our study, therefore, highlights a synergistic mechanobiological interplay between CMs and cFBs in shaping tissue organization, which is of relevance for regenerating functionally organized myocardium.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bart Groenen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Leda Klouda
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | | | - Marie-Jose Goumans
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology and Center for Biomedical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
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