1
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Hikspoors JPJM, Kruepunga N, Mommen GMC, Köhler SE, Anderson RH, Lamers WH. Human Cardiac Development. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1441:3-55. [PMID: 38884703 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-44087-8_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Many aspects of heart development are topographically complex and require three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction to understand the pertinent morphology. We have recently completed a comprehensive primer of human cardiac development that is based on firsthand segmentation of structures of interest in histological sections. We visualized the hearts of 12 human embryos between their first appearance at 3.5 weeks and the end of the embryonic period at 8 weeks. The models were presented as calibrated, interactive, 3D portable document format (PDF) files. We used them to describe the appearance and the subsequent remodeling of around 70 different structures incrementally for each of the reconstructed stages. In this chapter, we begin our account by describing the formation of the single heart tube, which occurs at the end of the fourth week subsequent to conception. We describe its looping in the fifth week, the formation of the cardiac compartments in the sixth week, and, finally, the septation of these compartments into the physically separated left- and right-sided circulations in the seventh and eighth weeks. The phases are successive, albeit partially overlapping. Thus, the basic cardiac layout is established between 26 and 32 days after fertilization and is described as Carnegie stages (CSs) 9 through 14, with development in the outlet component trailing that in the inlet parts. Septation at the venous pole is completed at CS17, equivalent to almost 6 weeks of development. During Carnegie stages 17 and 18, in the seventh week, the outflow tract and arterial pole undergo major remodeling, including incorporation of the proximal portion of the outflow tract into the ventricles and transfer of the spiraling course of the subaortic and subpulmonary channels to the intrapericardial arterial trunks. Remodeling of the interventricular foramen, with its eventual closure, is complete at CS20, which occurs at the end of the seventh week. We provide quantitative correlations between the age of human and mouse embryos as well as the Carnegie stages of development. We have also set our descriptions in the context of variations in the timing of developmental features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill P J M Hikspoors
- Department of Anatomy & Embryology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Nutmethee Kruepunga
- Department of Anatomy & Embryology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Present address: Department of Anatomy, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Greet M C Mommen
- Department of Anatomy & Embryology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - S Eleonore Köhler
- Department of Anatomy & Embryology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Robert H Anderson
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Wouter H Lamers
- Department of Anatomy & Embryology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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2
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Richardson L, Wilcockson SG, Guglielmi L, Hill CS. Context-dependent TGFβ family signalling in cell fate regulation. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2023; 24:876-894. [PMID: 37596501 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-023-00638-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
The transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) family are a large group of evolutionarily conserved cytokines whose signalling modulates cell fate decision-making across varying cellular contexts at different stages of life. Here we discuss new findings in early embryos that reveal how, in contrast to our original understanding of morphogen interpretation, robust cell fate specification can originate from a noisy combination of signalling inputs and a broad range of signalling levels. We compare this evidence with novel findings on the roles of TGFβ family signalling in tissue maintenance and homeostasis during juvenile and adult life, spanning the skeletal, haemopoietic and immune systems. From these comparisons, it emerges that in contrast to robust developing systems, relatively small perturbations in TGFβ family signalling have detrimental effects at later stages in life, leading to aberrant cell fate specification and disease, for example in cancer or congenital disorders. Finally, we highlight novel strategies to target and amend dysfunction in signalling and discuss how gleaning knowledge from different fields of biology can help in the development of therapeutics for aberrant TGFβ family signalling in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Richardson
- Developmental Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Scott G Wilcockson
- Developmental Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Luca Guglielmi
- Developmental Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Division of Cell Biology, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Caroline S Hill
- Developmental Signalling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
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3
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van Kampen SJ, Han SJ, van Ham WB, Kyriakopoulou E, Stouthart EW, Goversen B, Monshouwer-Kloots J, Perini I, de Ruiter H, van der Kraak P, Vink A, van Laake LW, Groeneweg JA, de Boer TP, Tsui H, Boogerd CJ, van Veen TAB, van Rooij E. PITX2 induction leads to impaired cardiomyocyte function in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Stem Cell Reports 2023; 18:749-764. [PMID: 36868229 PMCID: PMC10031305 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2023.01.015] [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: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is an inherited progressive disease characterized by electrophysiological and structural remodeling of the ventricles. However, the disease-causing molecular pathways, as a consequence of desmosomal mutations, are poorly understood. Here, we identified a novel missense mutation within desmoplakin in a patient clinically diagnosed with ACM. Using CRISPR-Cas9, we corrected this mutation in patient-derived human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and generated an independent knockin hiPSC line carrying the same mutation. Mutant cardiomyocytes displayed a decline in connexin 43, NaV1.5, and desmosomal proteins, which was accompanied by a prolonged action potential duration. Interestingly, paired-like homeodomain 2 (PITX2), a transcription factor that acts a repressor of connexin 43, NaV1.5, and desmoplakin, was induced in mutant cardiomyocytes. We validated these results in control cardiomyocytes in which PITX2 was either depleted or overexpressed. Importantly, knockdown of PITX2 in patient-derived cardiomyocytes is sufficient to restore the levels of desmoplakin, connexin 43, and NaV1.5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiaan J van Kampen
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Su Ji Han
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Willem B van Ham
- Department of Medical Physiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Eirini Kyriakopoulou
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Elizabeth W Stouthart
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Birgit Goversen
- Department of Medical Physiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Physiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Location VU Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Jantine Monshouwer-Kloots
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ilaria Perini
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Hesther de Ruiter
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Petra van der Kraak
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Aryan Vink
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Linda W van Laake
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Judith A Groeneweg
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Teun P de Boer
- Department of Medical Physiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Hoyee Tsui
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Cornelis J Boogerd
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Toon A B van Veen
- Department of Medical Physiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Eva van Rooij
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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4
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Zhao K, Yang Z. The second heart field: the first 20 years. Mamm Genome 2022:10.1007/s00335-022-09975-8. [PMID: 36550326 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-022-09975-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In 2001, three independent groups reported the identification of a novel cluster of progenitor cells that contribute to heart development in mouse and chicken embryos. This population of progenitor cells was designated as the second heart field (SHF), and a new research direction in heart development was launched. Twenty years have since passed and a comprehensive understanding of the SHF has been achieved. This review provides retrospective insights in to the contribution, the signaling regulatory networks and the epithelial properties of the SHF. It also includes the spatiotemporal characteristics of SHF development and interactions between the SHF and other types of cells during heart development. Although considerable efforts will be required to investigate the cellular heterogeneity of the SHF, together with its intricate regulatory networks and undefined mechanisms, it is expected that the burgeoning new technology of single-cell sequencing and precise lineage tracing will advance the comprehension of SHF function and its molecular signals. The advances in SHF research will translate to clinical applications and to the treatment of congenital heart diseases, especially conotruncal defects, as well as to regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animal for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Zhongzhou Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animal for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210093, China.
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5
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A pictorial account of the human embryonic heart between 3.5 and 8 weeks of development. Commun Biol 2022; 5:226. [PMID: 35277594 PMCID: PMC8917235 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03153-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractHeart development is topographically complex and requires visualization to understand its progression. No comprehensive 3-dimensional primer of human cardiac development is currently available. We prepared detailed reconstructions of 12 hearts between 3.5 and 8 weeks post fertilization, using Amira® 3D-reconstruction and Cinema4D®-remodeling software. The models were visualized as calibrated interactive 3D-PDFs. We describe the developmental appearance and subsequent remodeling of 70 different structures incrementally, using sequential segmental analysis. Pictorial timelines of structures highlight age-dependent events, while graphs visualize growth and spiraling of the wall of the heart tube. The basic cardiac layout is established between 3.5 and 4.5 weeks. Septation at the venous pole is completed at 6 weeks. Between 5.5 and 6.5 weeks, as the outflow tract becomes incorporated in the ventricles, the spiraling course of its subaortic and subpulmonary channels is transferred to the intrapericardial arterial trunks. The remodeling of the interventricular foramen is complete at 7 weeks.
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Abstract
Congenital heart disease is the most frequent birth defect and the leading cause of death for the fetus and in the first year of life. The wide phenotypic diversity of congenital heart defects requires expert diagnosis and sophisticated repair surgery. Although these defects have been described since the seventeenth century, it was only in 2005 that a consensus international nomenclature was adopted, followed by an international classification in 2017 to help provide better management of patients. Advances in genetic engineering, imaging, and omics analyses have uncovered mechanisms of heart formation and malformation in animal models, but approximately 80% of congenital heart defects have an unknown genetic origin. Here, we summarize current knowledge of congenital structural heart defects, intertwining clinical and fundamental research perspectives, with the aim to foster interdisciplinary collaborations at the cutting edge of each field. We also discuss remaining challenges in better understanding congenital heart defects and providing benefits to patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucile Houyel
- Unité de Cardiologie Pédiatrique et Congénitale and Centre de Référence des Malformations Cardiaques Congénitales Complexes (M3C), Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 75015 Paris, France.,Université de Paris, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Sigolène M Meilhac
- Université de Paris, 75015 Paris, France.,Imagine-Institut Pasteur Unit of Heart Morphogenesis, INSERM UMR 1163, 75015 Paris, France;
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Transient Nodal Signaling in Left Precursors Coordinates Opposed Asymmetries Shaping the Heart Loop. Dev Cell 2020; 55:413-431.e6. [PMID: 33171097 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The secreted factor Nodal, known as a major left determinant, is associated with severe heart defects. Yet, it has been unclear how it regulates asymmetric morphogenesis such as heart looping, which align cardiac chambers to establish the double blood circulation. Here, we report that Nodal is transiently active in precursors of the mouse heart tube poles, before looping. In conditional mutants, we show that Nodal is not required to initiate asymmetric morphogenesis. We provide evidence of a heart-specific random generator of asymmetry that is independent of Nodal. Using 3D quantifications and simulations, we demonstrate that Nodal functions as a bias of this mechanism: it is required to amplify and coordinate opposed left-right asymmetries at the heart tube poles, thus generating a robust helical shape. We identify downstream effectors of Nodal signaling, regulating asymmetries in cell proliferation, differentiation, and extracellular matrix composition. Our study uncovers how Nodal regulates asymmetric organogenesis.
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8
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Abstract
The function of the mammalian heart depends on the interplay between different cardiac cell types. The deployment of these cells, with precise spatiotemporal regulation, is also important during development to establish the heart structure. In this Review, we discuss the diverse origins of cardiac cell types and the lineage relationships between cells of a given type that contribute to different parts of the heart. The emerging lineage tree shows the progression of cell fate diversification, with patterning cues preceding cell type segregation, as well as points of convergence, with overlapping lineages contributing to a given tissue. Several cell lineage markers have been identified. However, caution is required with genetic-tracing experiments in comparison with clonal analyses. Genetic studies on cell populations provided insights into the mechanisms for lineage decisions. In the past 3 years, results of single-cell transcriptomics are beginning to reveal cell heterogeneity and early developmental trajectories. Equating this information with the in vivo location of cells and their lineage history is a current challenge. Characterization of the progenitor cells that form the heart and of the gene regulatory networks that control their deployment is of major importance for understanding the origin of congenital heart malformations and for producing cardiac tissue for use in regenerative medicine.
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9
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Desgrange A, Lokmer J, Marchiol C, Houyel L, Meilhac SM. Standardised imaging pipeline for phenotyping mouse laterality defects and associated heart malformations, at multiple scales and multiple stages. Dis Model Mech 2019; 12:dmm.038356. [PMID: 31208960 PMCID: PMC6679386 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.038356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Laterality defects are developmental disorders resulting from aberrant left/right patterning. In the most severe cases, such as in heterotaxy, they are associated with complex malformations of the heart. Advances in understanding the underlying physiopathological mechanisms have been hindered by the lack of a standardised and exhaustive procedure in mouse models for phenotyping left/right asymmetries of all visceral organs. Here, we have developed a multimodality imaging pipeline, which combines non-invasive micro-ultrasound imaging, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and high-resolution episcopic microscopy (HREM) to acquire 3D images at multiple stages of development and at multiple scales. On the basis of the position in the uterine horns, we track in a single individual, the progression of organ asymmetry, the situs of all visceral organs in the thoracic or abdominal environment, and the fine anatomical left/right asymmetries of cardiac segments. We provide reference anatomical images and organ reconstructions in the mouse, and discuss differences with humans. This standardised pipeline, which we validated in a mouse model of heterotaxy, offers a fast and easy-to-implement framework. The extensive 3D phenotyping of organ asymmetry in the mouse uses the clinical nomenclature for direct comparison with patient phenotypes. It is compatible with automated and quantitative image analyses, which is essential to compare mutant phenotypes with incomplete penetrance and to gain mechanistic insight into laterality defects. Summary: Laterality defects, which combine anomalies in several visceral organs, are challenging to phenotype. We have developed here a standardised approach for multimodality 3D imaging in mice, generating quantifiable phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Desgrange
- Imagine-Institut Pasteur, Laboratory of Heart Morphogenesis, 75015 Paris, France.,INSERM UMR1163, 75015 Paris, France.,Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris-Cité, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Johanna Lokmer
- Imagine-Institut Pasteur, Laboratory of Heart Morphogenesis, 75015 Paris, France.,INSERM UMR1163, 75015 Paris, France.,Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris-Cité, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Carmen Marchiol
- Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris-Cité, 75006 Paris, France.,INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, 75014 Paris, France.,CNRS UMR8104, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Lucile Houyel
- Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris-Cité, 75006 Paris, France.,Unité de Cardiologie Pédiatrique et Congénitale, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Centre de référence des Malformations Cardiaques Congénitales Complexes-M3C, APHP, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Sigolène M Meilhac
- Imagine-Institut Pasteur, Laboratory of Heart Morphogenesis, 75015 Paris, France .,INSERM UMR1163, 75015 Paris, France.,Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris-Cité, 75006 Paris, France
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10
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Katano W, Moriyama Y, Takeuchi JK, Koshiba-Takeuchi K. Cardiac septation in heart development and evolution. Dev Growth Differ 2018; 61:114-123. [PMID: 30549006 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The heart is one of the vital organs and is functionalized for blood circulation from its early development. Some vertebrates have altered their living environment from aquatic to terrestrial life over the course of evolution and obtained circulatory systems well adapted to their lifestyles. The morphology of the heart has been changed together with the acquisition of a sophisticated respiratory organ, the lung. Adaptation to a terrestrial environment requires the coordination of heart and lung development due to the intake of oxygen from the air and the production of the large amount of energy needed for terrestrial life. Therefore, vertebrates developed pulmonary circulation and a septated heart (four-chambered heart) with venous and arterial blood completely separated. In this review, we summarize how vertebrates change the structures and functions of their circulatory systems according to environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Katano
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Applied Biosciences, Toyo University, Ora-gun, Japan
| | - Yuuta Moriyama
- Department of Life Science and Technology, School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Jun K Takeuchi
- Department of Bio-informational Pharmacology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo, Japan
| | - Kazuko Koshiba-Takeuchi
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Applied Biosciences, Toyo University, Ora-gun, Japan
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11
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Desgrange A, Le Garrec JF, Meilhac SM. Left-right asymmetry in heart development and disease: forming the right loop. Development 2018; 145:145/22/dev162776. [PMID: 30467108 DOI: 10.1242/dev.162776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Extensive studies have shown how bilateral symmetry of the vertebrate embryo is broken during early development, resulting in a molecular left-right bias in the mesoderm. However, how this early asymmetry drives the asymmetric morphogenesis of visceral organs remains poorly understood. The heart provides a striking model of left-right asymmetric morphogenesis, undergoing rightward looping to shape an initially linear heart tube and align cardiac chambers. Importantly, abnormal left-right patterning is associated with severe congenital heart defects, as exemplified in heterotaxy syndrome. Here, we compare the mechanisms underlying the rightward looping of the heart tube in fish, chick and mouse embryos. We propose that heart looping is not only a question of direction, but also one of fine-tuning shape. This is discussed in the context of evolutionary and clinical perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Desgrange
- Imagine-Institut Pasteur, Laboratory of Heart Morphogenesis, 75015 Paris, France.,INSERM UMR1163, Université Paris Descartes, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Jean-François Le Garrec
- Imagine-Institut Pasteur, Laboratory of Heart Morphogenesis, 75015 Paris, France.,INSERM UMR1163, Université Paris Descartes, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Sigolène M Meilhac
- Imagine-Institut Pasteur, Laboratory of Heart Morphogenesis, 75015 Paris, France .,INSERM UMR1163, Université Paris Descartes, 75015 Paris, France
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12
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Multiple Roles of Pitx2 in Cardiac Development and Disease. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2017; 4:jcdd4040016. [PMID: 29367545 PMCID: PMC5753117 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd4040016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2017] [Revised: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac development is a complex morphogenetic process initiated as bilateral cardiogenic mesoderm is specified at both sides of the gastrulating embryo. Soon thereafter, these cardiogenic cells fuse at the embryonic midline configuring a symmetrical linear cardiac tube. Left/right bilateral asymmetry is first detected in the forming heart as the cardiac tube bends to the right, and subsequently, atrial and ventricular chambers develop. Molecular signals emanating from the node confer distinct left/right signalling pathways that ultimately lead to activation of the homeobox transcription factor Pitx2 in the left side of distinct embryonic organ anlagen, including the developing heart. Asymmetric expression of Pitx2 has therefore been reported during different cardiac developmental stages, and genetic deletion of Pitx2 provided evidence of key regulatory roles of this transcription factor during cardiogenesis and thus congenital heart diseases. More recently, impaired Pitx2 function has also been linked to arrhythmogenic processes, providing novel roles in the adult heart. In this manuscript, we provide a state-of-the-art review of the fundamental roles of Pitx2 during cardiogenesis, arrhythmogenesis and its contribution to congenital heart diseases.
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13
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Furtado MB, Merriner DJ, Berger S, Rhodes D, Jamsai D, O'Bryan MK. Mutations in the Katnb1 gene cause left-right asymmetry and heart defects. Dev Dyn 2017; 246:1027-1035. [PMID: 28791777 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The microtubule-severing protein complex katanin is composed two subunits, the ATPase subunit, KATNA1, and the noncatalytic regulatory subunit, KATNB1. Recently, the Katnb1 gene has been linked to infertility, regulation of centriole and cilia formation in fish and mammals, as well as neocortical brain development. KATNB1 protein is expressed in germ cells in humans and mouse, mitotic/meiotic spindles and cilia, although the full expression pattern of the Katnb1 gene has not been described. RESULTS Using a knockin-knockout mouse model of Katnb1 dysfunction we demonstrate that Katnb1 is ubiquitously expressed during embryonic development, although a stronger expression is seen in the crown cells of the gastrulation organizer, the murine node. Furthermore, null and hypomorphic Katnb1 gene mutations show a novel correlation between Katnb1 dysregulation and the development of impaired left-right signaling, including cardiac malformations. CONCLUSIONS Katanin function is a critical regulator of heart development in mice. These findings are potentially relevant to human cardiac development. Developmental Dynamics 246:1027-1035, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena B Furtado
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine.,Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - D Jo Merriner
- The Development and Stem Cells Program of Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and The Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.,The School of Biological Sciences, 25 Rainforest Walk, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Silke Berger
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Danielle Rhodes
- The Development and Stem Cells Program of Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and The Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Duangporn Jamsai
- The Development and Stem Cells Program of Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and The Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Moira K O'Bryan
- The Development and Stem Cells Program of Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and The Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.,The School of Biological Sciences, 25 Rainforest Walk, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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14
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Current Perspectives in Cardiac Laterality. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2016; 3:jcdd3040034. [PMID: 29367577 PMCID: PMC5715725 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd3040034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The heart is the first organ to break symmetry in the developing embryo and onset of dextral looping is the first indication of this event. Looping is a complex process that progresses concomitantly to cardiac chamber differentiation and ultimately leads to the alignment of the cardiac regions in their final topology. Generation of cardiac asymmetry is crucial to ensuring proper form and consequent functionality of the heart, and therefore it is a highly regulated process. It has long been known that molecular left/right signals originate far before morphological asymmetry and therefore can direct it. The use of several animal models has led to the characterization of a complex regulatory network, which invariably converges on the Tgf-β signaling molecule Nodal and its downstream target, the homeobox transcription factor Pitx2. Here, we review current data on the cellular and molecular bases of cardiac looping and laterality, and discuss the contribution of Nodal and Pitx2 to these processes. A special emphasis will be given to the morphogenetic role of Pitx2 and to its modulation of transcriptional and functional properties, which have also linked laterality to atrial fibrillation.
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15
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Sun YM, Wang J, Qiu XB, Yuan F, Xu YJ, Li RG, Qu XK, Huang RT, Xue S, Yang YQ. PITX2 loss-of-function mutation contributes to tetralogy of Fallot. Gene 2016; 577:258-64. [PMID: 26657035 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Revised: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most prevalent developmental abnormality in humans and is the most common non-infectious cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Increasing evidence demonstrates that genetic defects are involved in the pathogenesis of CHD. However, CHD is genetically heterogeneous, and the genetic determinants underpinning CHD in most patients remain unknown. In this study, the whole coding region of the PITX2 gene (isoform c) was sequenced in 185 unrelated patients with CHD. The available relatives of a mutation carrier and 300 unrelated healthy individuals used as controls were also genotyped for PITX2. The functional characteristics of the mutation were delineated by using a dual-luciferase reporter assay system. As a result, a novel heterozygous PITX2 mutation, p.Q102L, was identified in a patient with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). Genetic analysis of the index patient's pedigree showed that the mutation co-segregated with TOF. The mutation was absent in 600 reference chromosomes. Biochemical analysis revealed that the Q102L-mutant PITX2 is associated with significantly reduced transcriptional activity compared with its wild-type counterpart. Furthermore, the mutation markedly decreased the synergistic activation between PITX2 and NKX2-5. This study firstly associates PITX2 loss-of-function mutation with increased susceptibility to TOF, providing novel insight into the molecular mechanism of CHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Min Sun
- Department of Cardiology, Jing'an District Central Hospital, 259 Xikang Road, Shanghai 200040, PR China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Jing'an District Central Hospital, 259 Xikang Road, Shanghai 200040, PR China.
| | - Xing-Biao Qiu
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, PR China
| | - Fang Yuan
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, PR China
| | - Ying-Jia Xu
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, PR China
| | - Ruo-Gu Li
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, PR China
| | - Xin-Kai Qu
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, PR China
| | - Ri-Tai Huang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1630 Dongfang Road, Shanghai 200127, PR China
| | - Song Xue
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1630 Dongfang Road, Shanghai 200127, PR China
| | - Yi-Qing Yang
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, PR China; Department of Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, PR China; Department of Central Laboratory, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, PR China.
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16
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Barnes RM, Harris IS, Jaehnig EJ, Sauls K, Sinha T, Rojas A, Schachterle W, McCulley DJ, Norris RA, Black BL. MEF2C regulates outflow tract alignment and transcriptional control of Tdgf1. Development 2016; 143:774-9. [PMID: 26811383 DOI: 10.1242/dev.126383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Congenital heart defects are the most common birth defects in humans, and those that affect the proper alignment of the outflow tracts and septation of the ventricles are a highly significant cause of morbidity and mortality in infants. A late differentiating population of cardiac progenitors, referred to as the anterior second heart field (AHF), gives rise to the outflow tract and the majority of the right ventricle and provides an embryological context for understanding cardiac outflow tract alignment and membranous ventricular septal defects. However, the transcriptional pathways controlling AHF development and their roles in congenital heart defects remain incompletely elucidated. Here, we inactivated the gene encoding the transcription factor MEF2C in the AHF in mice. Loss of Mef2c function in the AHF results in a spectrum of outflow tract alignment defects ranging from overriding aorta to double-outlet right ventricle and dextro-transposition of the great arteries. We identify Tdgf1, which encodes a Nodal co-receptor (also known as Cripto), as a direct transcriptional target of MEF2C in the outflow tract via an AHF-restricted Tdgf1 enhancer. Importantly, both the MEF2C and TDGF1 genes are associated with congenital heart defects in humans. Thus, these studies establish a direct transcriptional pathway between the core cardiac transcription factor MEF2C and the human congenital heart disease gene TDGF1. Moreover, we found a range of outflow tract alignment defects resulting from a single genetic lesion, supporting the idea that AHF-derived outflow tract alignment defects may constitute an embryological spectrum rather than distinct anomalies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralston M Barnes
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-3120, USA
| | - Ian S Harris
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-3120, USA Division of Cardiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Eric J Jaehnig
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-3120, USA
| | - Kimberly Sauls
- Cardiovascular Developmental Biology Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Tanvi Sinha
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-3120, USA
| | - Anabel Rojas
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-3120, USA
| | - William Schachterle
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-3120, USA
| | - David J McCulley
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-3120, USA
| | - Russell A Norris
- Cardiovascular Developmental Biology Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Brian L Black
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-3120, USA Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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17
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Hyperglycemia impairs left-right axis formation and thereby disturbs heart morphogenesis in mouse embryos. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:E5300-7. [PMID: 26351675 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1504529112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Congenital heart defects with heterotaxia are associated with pregestational diabetes mellitus. To provide insight into the mechanisms underlying such diabetes-related heart defects, we examined the effects of high-glucose concentrations on formation of the left-right axis in mouse embryos. Expression of Pitx2, which plays a key role in left-right asymmetric morphogenesis and cardiac development, was lost in the left lateral plate mesoderm of embryos of diabetic dams. Embryos exposed to high-glucose concentrations in culture also failed to express Nodal and Pitx2 in the left lateral plate mesoderm. The distribution of phosphorylated Smad2 revealed that Nodal activity in the node was attenuated, accounting for the failure of left-right axis formation. Consistent with this notion, Notch signal-dependent expression of Nodal-related genes in the node was also down-regulated in association with a reduced level of Notch signaling, suggesting that high-glucose concentrations impede Notch signaling and thereby hinder establishment of the left-right axis required for heart morphogenesis.
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18
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Zhao CM, Peng LY, Li L, Liu XY, Wang J, Zhang XL, Yuan F, Li RG, Qiu XB, Yang YQ. PITX2 Loss-of-Function Mutation Contributes to Congenital Endocardial Cushion Defect and Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124409. [PMID: 25893250 PMCID: PMC4404345 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2014] [Accepted: 03/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital heart disease (CHD), the most common type of birth defect, is still the leading non-infectious cause of infant morbidity and mortality in humans. Aggregating evidence demonstrates that genetic defects are involved in the pathogenesis of CHD. However, CHD is genetically heterogeneous and the genetic components underpinning CHD in an overwhelming majority of patients remain unclear. In the present study, the coding exons and flanking introns of the PITX2 gene, which encodes a paired-like homeodomain transcription factor 2essential for cardiovascular morphogenesis as well as maxillary facial development, was sequenced in 196 unrelated patients with CHD and subsequently in the mutation carrier's family members available. As a result, a novel heterozygous PITX2 mutation, p.Q102X for PITX2a, or p.Q148X for PITX2b, or p.Q155X for PITX2c, was identified in a family with endocardial cushion defect (ECD) and Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome (ARS). Genetic analysis of the pedigree showed that the nonsense mutation co-segregated with ECD and ARS transmitted in an autosomal dominant pattern with complete penetrance. The mutation was absent in 800 control chromosomes from an ethnically matched population. Functional analysis by using a dual-luciferase reporter assay system revealed that the mutant PITX2 had no transcriptional activity and that the mutation eliminated synergistic transcriptional activation between PITX2 and NKX2.5, another transcription factor pivotal for cardiogenesis. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the association of PITX2 loss-of-function mutation with increased susceptibility to ECD and ARS. The findings provide novel insight into the molecular mechanisms underpinning ECD and ARS, suggesting the potential implications for the antenatal prophylaxis and personalized treatment of CHD and ARS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cui-Mei Zhao
- Department of Cardiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Division of Medical Genetics, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lu-Ying Peng
- Division of Medical Genetics, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Li
- Division of Medical Genetics, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xing-Yuan Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Juan Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xian-Ling Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fang Yuan
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruo-Gu Li
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xing-Biao Qiu
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi-Qing Yang
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Central Laboratory, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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19
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Aguirre LA, Alonso ME, Badía-Careaga C, Rollán I, Arias C, Fernández-Miñán A, López-Jiménez E, Aránega A, Gómez-Skarmeta JL, Franco D, Manzanares M. Long-range regulatory interactions at the 4q25 atrial fibrillation risk locus involve PITX2c and ENPEP. BMC Biol 2015; 13:26. [PMID: 25888893 PMCID: PMC4416339 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-015-0138-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent genome-wide association studies have uncovered genomic loci that underlie an increased risk for atrial fibrillation, the major cardiac arrhythmia in humans. The most significant locus is located in a gene desert at 4q25, approximately 170 kilobases upstream of PITX2, which codes for a transcription factor involved in embryonic left-right asymmetry and cardiac development. However, how this genomic region functionally and structurally relates to PITX2 and atrial fibrillation is unknown. RESULTS To characterise its function, we tested genomic fragments from 4q25 for transcriptional activity in a mouse atrial cardiomyocyte cell line and in transgenic mouse embryos, identifying a non-tissue-specific potentiator regulatory element. Chromosome conformation capture revealed that this region physically interacts with the promoter of the cardiac specific isoform of Pitx2. Surprisingly, this regulatory region also interacts with the promoter of the next neighbouring gene, Enpep, which we show to be expressed in regions of the developing mouse heart essential for cardiac electrical activity. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that de-regulation of both PITX2 and ENPEP could contribute to an increased risk of atrial fibrillation in carriers of disease-associated variants, and show the challenges that we face in the functional analysis of genome-wide disease associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A Aguirre
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
| | - M Eva Alonso
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Claudio Badía-Careaga
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Isabel Rollán
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Cristina Arias
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Ana Fernández-Miñán
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Junta de Andalucía, ctra. de Utrera km1, 41013, Seville, Spain.
| | - Elena López-Jiménez
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Amelia Aránega
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Jaen, Paraje de las Lagunillas s/n, 23071, Jaén, Spain.
| | - José Luis Gómez-Skarmeta
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Junta de Andalucía, ctra. de Utrera km1, 41013, Seville, Spain.
| | - Diego Franco
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Jaen, Paraje de las Lagunillas s/n, 23071, Jaén, Spain.
| | - Miguel Manzanares
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
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20
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Su D, Jing S, Guan L, Li Q, Zhang H, Gao X, Ma X. Role of Nodal-PITX2C signaling pathway in glucose-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Biochem Cell Biol 2014; 92:183-90. [PMID: 24773581 DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2013-0124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in cardiovascular disease. Recent studies have shown that cardiomyocytes, in response to high glucose (HG) stimuli, undergo hypertrophic growth. While much work still needs to be done to elucidate this important mechanism of hypertrophy, previous works have showed that some pathways or genes play important roles in hypertrophy. In this study, we showed that sublethal concentrations of glucose (25 mmol/L) could induce cardiomyocyte hypertrophy with an increase in the cellular surface area and the upregulation of the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) gene, a hypertrophic marker. High glucose (HG) treatments resulted in the upregulation of the Nodal gene, which is under-expressed in cardiomyocytes. We also determined that the knockdown of the Nodal gene resisted HG-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. The overexpression of Nodal was able to induce hypertrophy in cardiomyocytes, which was associated with the upregulation of the PITX2C gene. We also showed that increases in the PITX2C expression, in response to Nodal, were mediated by the Smad4 signaling pathway. This study is highly relevant to the understanding of the effects of the Nodal-PITX2C pathway on HG-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, as well as the related molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongmei Su
- Department of Genetics, National Research Institute for Family Planning, 12, Dahuisi Road, Haidian, Beijing 100081, China
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21
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Wei D, Gong XH, Qiu G, Wang J, Yang YQ. Novel PITX2c loss-of-function mutations associated with complex congenital heart disease. Int J Mol Med 2014; 33:1201-8. [PMID: 24604414 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2014.1689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2014] [Accepted: 02/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common form of birth defect in humans and is the leading non-infectious cause of infant mortality. Emerging evidence strongly suggests that genetic risk factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of CHD. However, CHD is of pronounced genetic heterogeneity, and the genetic defects responsible for CHD in an overwhelming majority of patients remain unclear. In this study, the entire coding region and splice junction sites of the PITX2c gene, which encodes a paired-like homeodomain transcription factor crucial for proper cardiovascular morphogenesis, was sequenced in 170 unrelated neonates with CHD. The available relatives of the mutation carriers and 200 unrelated ethnically matched healthy individuals were genotyped. The disease-causing potential of the PITX2c sequence variations was predicted by MutationTaster and PolyPhen-2. The functional effect of the mutations was characterized using a luciferase reporter assay system. As a result, 2 novel heterozygous PITX2c mutations, p.R91Q and p.T129S, were identified in 2 unrelated newborns with transposition of the great arteries and ventricular septal defect, respectively. A genetic scan of the pedigrees revealed that each mutation co-segregated with CHD transmitted in an autosomal dominant pattern with complete penetrance. The mutations, which altered the amino acids completely conserved evolutionarily, were absent in 400 normal chromosomes and were predicted to be causative. Functional analysis revealed that the PITX2c mutations were both associated with significantly diminished transcriptional activity compared with their wild-type counterpart. This study demonstrates the association between PITX2c loss-of-function mutations and the transposition of the great arteries and ventricular septal defect in humans, providing further insight into the molecular mechanisms responsible for CHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Wei
- Department of Neonatology, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200040, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Hui Gong
- Department of Neonatology, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200040, P.R. China
| | - Gang Qiu
- Department of Neonatology, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200040, P.R. China
| | - Juan Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, P.R. China
| | - Yi-Qing Yang
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Laboratory and Central Laboratory, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, P.R. China
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22
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Zaremba KM, Reeder AL, Kowalkowski A, Girma E, Nichol PF. Utility and limits of Hprt-Cre technology in generating mutant mouse embryos. J Surg Res 2014; 187:386-93. [PMID: 24360120 PMCID: PMC3959277 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2013.10.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2013] [Revised: 10/23/2013] [Accepted: 10/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hprt-Cre doubles the prevalence of homozygous null embryos per litter versus heterozygous breedings without decreasing litter size. Resulting mutant embryos are genotypically and phenotypically equivalent between strategies. We set out to confirm the effectiveness of this approach with other alleles and hypothesized that it would increase efficiency in generating compound mutants. MATERIALS AND METHODS Null mutants for Cyp26b1, Pitx2, and Shh were generated with Hprt-Cre from conditional alleles as were double and triple allelic combinations of Fgfr2IIIb, Raldh2, and Cyp26b1. Embryos were genotyped and phenotyped by whole mount photography, histology, and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Fifty percent of Hprt-Cre litters were homozygous null for Cyp26b1 (15/29) and Pitx2 (75/143), with phenotypic and genotypic equivalence to mutants from standard heterozygous breedings. In multi-allele breedings, mutant embryos constituted half of litters without significant embryo loss. In contrast, Shh breedings yielded a smaller ratio of embryos carrying two recombined alleles (6 of 16), with a significant litter size reduction because of early embryonic lethality (16 live embryos from 38 deciduae). CONCLUSIONS Hprt-Cre can be used to efficiently generate large numbers of mutant embryos with a number of alleles. Compound mutant generation was equally efficient. However, efficiency is reduced for genes whose protein product potentially interacts with the Hprt pathway (e.g., Shh).
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof M Zaremba
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin SMPH Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Amy L Reeder
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin SMPH Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Anna Kowalkowski
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin SMPH Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Eden Girma
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin SMPH Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Peter F Nichol
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin SMPH Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
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23
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Franco D, Christoffels VM, Campione M. Homeobox transcription factor Pitx2: The rise of an asymmetry gene in cardiogenesis and arrhythmogenesis. Trends Cardiovasc Med 2014; 24:23-31. [PMID: 23953978 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcm.2013.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Revised: 06/06/2013] [Accepted: 06/07/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The homeobox transcription factor Pitx2 displays a highly specific expression pattern during embryogenesis. Gain and loss of function experiments have unraveled its pivotal role in left-right signaling. Conditional deletion in mice has demonstrated a complex and intricate role for Pitx2 in distinct aspects of cardiac development and more recently a link to atrial fibrillation has been proposed based on genome-wide association studies. In this review we will revise the role of Pitx2 in the developing heart, starting from the early events of left-right determination followed by its role in cardiac morphogenesis and ending with its role in cardiac arrhythmogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Franco
- Department of Experimental Biology B3-362, University of Jaén, Jaen 23071, Spain.
| | | | - Marina Campione
- CNR-Institute of Neurosciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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24
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Wang J, Xin YF, Xu WJ, Liu ZM, Qiu XB, Qu XK, Xu L, Li X, Yang YQ. Prevalence and spectrum of PITX2c mutations associated with congenital heart disease. DNA Cell Biol 2013; 32:708-16. [PMID: 24083357 PMCID: PMC3864367 DOI: 10.1089/dna.2013.2185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2013] [Revised: 08/24/2013] [Accepted: 08/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common form of birth defect and is the leading noninfectious cause of infant death. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that genetic risk factors are involved in the pathogenesis of CHD. However, CHD is a genetically heterogeneous disease and the genetic defects underlying CHD in an overwhelming majority of patients remain unclear. In this study, the whole coding region and splice junction sites of the PITX2c gene, which encodes variant 3 of paired-like homeodomain transcription factor 2 crucial for normal cardiovascular morphogenesis, were sequenced in 382 unrelated patients with CHD, and 2 novel heterozygous mutations, p.W147X and p.N153D, were identified in 2 unrelated patients with CHD, respectively, including a 1-year-old male patient with double outlet right ventricle in combination with ventricular septal defect and a 4-year-old female patient with ventricular septal defect. The mutations were absent in 400 control chromosomes and were both predicted to be disease-causing by MutationTaster. Multiple alignments of PITX2c proteins across species displayed that the altered amino acids were completely conserved evolutionarily. Functional analysis revealed that the mutated PITX2c proteins were associated with a significantly reduced transactivational activity compared with their wild-type counterpart. These findings provide a novel insight into the molecular mechanisms implicated in CHD, suggesting potential implications for the antenatal prophylaxis and allele-specific treatment of CHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Wang
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan-Feng Xin
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen-Jun Xu
- Department of Cardiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhong-Min Liu
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xing-Biao Qiu
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin-Kai Qu
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Extracorporal Circulation, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi-Qing Yang
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Central Laboratory, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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25
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Yuan F, Zhao L, Wang J, Zhang W, Li X, Qiu XB, Li RG, Xu YJ, Xu L, Qu XK, Fang WY, Yang YQ. PITX2c loss-of-function mutations responsible for congenital atrial septal defects. Int J Med Sci 2013; 10:1422-9. [PMID: 23983605 PMCID: PMC3753420 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.6809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2013] [Accepted: 07/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common form of developmental anomaly and is the leading non-infectious cause of infant mortality. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that genetic risk factors are involved in the pathogenesis of CHD. However, CHD is a genetically heterogeneous disease and the genetic determinants for CHD in most patients remain unclear. In the present study, the entire coding region and splice junction sites of the PITX2c gene, which encodes a homeobox transcription factor crucial for normal cardiovascular genesis, was sequenced in 150 unrelated patients with various CHDs. The 200 unrelated control individuals were subsequently genotyped. The functional characteristics of the mutations were explored using a dual-luciferase reporter assay system. As a result, two novel heterozygous PITX2c mutations, p.H98Q and p.M119T, were identified in 2 unrelated patients with atrial septal defects, respectively. The variations were absent in 400 control chromosomes and the affected amino acids were completely conserved evolutionarily. The two variants were both predicted to be disease-causing by MutationTaster and PolyPhen-2, and the functional analysis revealed that the PITX2c mutants were consistently associated with significantly reduced transcriptional activity compared with their wild-type counterpart. These findings firstly link PITX2c loss-of-function mutations to atrial septal defects in humans, which provide novel insight into the molecular mechanism responsible for CHD, suggesting potential implications for the early prophylaxis and allele-specific treatment of CHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Yuan
- 1. Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Lan Zhao
- 2. Department of Cardiology, Yantaishan Hospital, 91 Jiefang Road, Yantai 264001, Shandong, China
| | - Juan Wang
- 3. Department of Cardiology, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 150 Jimo Road, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- 4. Department of Cardiac Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Xin Li
- 5. Department of Extracorporeal Circulation, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Xing-Biao Qiu
- 1. Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Ruo-Gu Li
- 1. Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Ying-Jia Xu
- 1. Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Lei Xu
- 1. Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Xing-Kai Qu
- 1. Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Wei-Yi Fang
- 1. Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Yi-Qing Yang
- 1. Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, China
- 6. Department of Cardiovascular Research, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 241 West Huaihai Road, Shanghai 200030, China
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Domínguez JN, Meilhac SM, Bland YS, Buckingham ME, Brown NA. Asymmetric fate of the posterior part of the second heart field results in unexpected left/right contributions to both poles of the heart. Circ Res 2012; 111:1323-35. [PMID: 22955731 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.112.271247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The second heart field (SHF) contains progenitors of all heart chambers, excluding the left ventricle. The SHF is patterned, and the anterior region is known to be destined to form the outflow tract and right ventricle. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to map the fate of the posterior SHF (pSHF). METHODS AND RESULTS We examined the contribution of pSHF cells, labeled by lipophilic dye at the 4- to 6-somite stage, to regions of the heart at 20 to 25 somites, using mouse embryo culture. Cells more cranial in the pSHF contribute to the atrioventricular canal (AVC) and atria, whereas those more caudal generate the sinus venosus, but there is intermixing of fate throughout the pSHF. Caudal pSHF contributes symmetrically to the sinus venosus, but the fate of cranial pSHF is left/right asymmetrical. Left pSHF moves to dorsal left atrium and superior AVC, whereas right pSHF contributes to right atrium, ventral left atrium, and inferior AVC. Retrospective clonal analysis shows the relationships between AVC and atria to be clonal and that right and left progenitors diverge before first and second heart lineage separation. Cranial pSHF cells also contribute to the outflow tract: proximal and distal at 4 somites, and distal only at 6 somites. All outflow tract-destined cells are intermingled with those that will contribute to inflow and AVC. CONCLUSIONS These observations show asymmetric fate of the pSHF, resulting in unexpected left/right contributions to both poles of the heart and can be integrated into a model of the morphogenetic movement of cells during cardiac looping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge N Domínguez
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, St George's University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, United Kingdom
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Abstract
The formation of the heart involves diversification of lineages which differentiate into distinct cardiac cell types or contribute to different regions such as the four cardiac chambers. The heart is the first organ to form in the embryo. However, in parallel with the growth of the organism, before or after birth, the heart has to adapt its size to maintain pumping efficiency. The adult heart has only a mild regeneration potential; thus, strategies to repair the heart after injury are based on the mobilisation of resident cardiac stem cells or the transplantation of external sources of stem cells. We discuss current knowledge on these aspects and raise questions for future research.
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Nichol PF, Saijoh Y. Pitx2 is a critical early regulatory gene in normal cecal development. J Surg Res 2011; 170:107-11. [PMID: 21550054 PMCID: PMC3154571 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2011.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2011] [Revised: 02/15/2011] [Accepted: 03/15/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The murine cecum is a critical digestive structure. Morphogenesis of the cecum involves several key genes, including Homeobox (Hox) d12. Ectopic expression of Hoxd12 has been shown to result in cecal agenesis and a down-regulation of both Fibroblast growth factor 10 (Fgf10) and the Pituitary homeobox 2 gene (Pitx2). Homozygous null mutation of Fgf10 or its cognate receptor Fgfr2IIIb results in severe cecal defects where there is the initiation of mesodermal budding, but a failure of the endoderm to grow and extend into this structure. We examined the expression of Pitx2 in the cecum and hypothesized that homozygous null mutation of Pitx2 would result in cecal agenesis. METHODS IACUC approval was obtained for these studies. Whole mount in situ hybridizations for Pitx2 were performed on wild-type embryos between embryonic d (E)11.0 and E12.5. Pitx2 -/- and Fgfr2IIIb -/- embryos were generated from n/+ heterozygote breedings and harvested at E10.5, E11.5, and E13.5. Genotypes were confirmed by PCR. Morphology of Pitx2 -/- cecae were compared with those of wild-type littermates and Fgfr2IIIb -/- embryos at identical stages. Embryos were fixed overnight and photographed the following day. RESULTS Pitx2 is expressed in the cecal mesoderm and endoderm as early as E11.0. Expression becomes increasingly more robust by E12.5. Homozygous null mutation of Pitx2 results in agenesis of the cecum. In contrast to Fgfr2IIIb -/- embryos, which demonstrate a persistent mesodermal bud as late as E18.5, no mesodermal bud is present in Pitx2 -/- embryos. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate that Pitx2 is a critical regulatory gene in cecal morphogenesis and suggest that Pitx2 is required for initiation of mesodermal budding and likely resides upstream of Fgf10-Fgfr2IIIb signaling in the normal development of this structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter F Nichol
- Department of Surgery, Section of Pediatric Surgery, University of Wisconsin SMPH, Madison, Wisconsin 53792, USA.
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