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Luo X, Liu L, Rong H, Liu X, Yang L, Li N, Shi H. ENU-based dominant genetic screen identifies contractile and neuronal gene mutations in congenital heart disease. Genome Med 2024; 16:97. [PMID: 39135118 PMCID: PMC11318149 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01372-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most prevalent congenital anomaly, but its underlying causes are still not fully understood. It is believed that multiple rare genetic mutations may contribute to the development of CHD. METHODS In this study, we aimed to identify novel genetic risk factors for CHD using an ENU-based dominant genetic screen in mice. We analyzed fetuses with malformed hearts and compared them to control littermates by whole exome or whole genome sequencing (WES/WGS). The differences in mutation rates between observed and expected values were tested using the Poisson and Binomial distribution. Additionally, we compared WES data from human CHD probands obtained from the Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium with control subjects from the 1000 Genomes Project using Fisher's exact test to evaluate the burden of rare inherited damaging mutations in patients. RESULTS By screening 10,285 fetuses, we identified 1109 cases with various heart defects, with ventricular septal defects and bicuspid aortic valves being the most common types. WES/WGS analysis of 598 cases and 532 control littermates revealed a higher number of ENU-induced damaging mutations in cases compared to controls. GO term and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that pathways related to cardiac contraction and neuronal development and functions were enriched in cases. Further analysis of 1457 human CHD probands and 2675 control subjects also revealed an enrichment of genes associated with muscle and nervous system development in patients. By combining the mice and human data, we identified a list of 101 candidate digenic genesets, from which each geneset was co-mutated in at least one mouse and two human probands with CHD but not in control mouse and control human subjects. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that gene mutations affecting early hemodynamic perturbations in the developing heart may play a significant role as a genetic risk factor for CHD. Further validation of the candidate gene set identified in this study could enhance our understanding of the complex genetics underlying CHD and potentially lead to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxi Luo
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- School of Medicine, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310024, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lifeng Liu
- School of Medicine, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310024, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Haowei Rong
- School of Medicine, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310024, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiangyang Liu
- School of Medicine, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310024, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ling Yang
- Westlake University High-Performance Computing Center, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Nan Li
- Westlake University High-Performance Computing Center, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hongjun Shi
- School of Medicine, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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Berg K, Gorham J, Lundt F, Seidman J, Brueckner M. Endocardial primary cilia and blood flow are required for regulation of EndoMT during endocardial cushion development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.15.594405. [PMID: 38798559 PMCID: PMC11118576 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.15.594405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Blood flow is critical for heart valve formation, and cellular mechanosensors are essential to translate flow into transcriptional regulation of development. Here, we identify a role for primary cilia in vivo in the spatial regulation of cushion formation, the first stage of valve development, by regionally controlling endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) via modulation of Kruppel-like Factor 4 (Klf4) . We find that high shear stress intracardiac regions decrease endocardial ciliation over cushion development, correlating with KLF4 downregulation and EndoMT progression. Mouse embryos constitutively lacking cilia exhibit a blood-flow dependent accumulation of KLF4 in these regions, independent of upstream left-right abnormalities, resulting in impaired cushion cellularization. snRNA-seq revealed that cilia KO endocardium fails to progress to late-EndoMT, retains endothelial markers and has reduced EndoMT/mesenchymal genes that KLF4 antagonizes. Together, these data identify a mechanosensory role for endocardial primary cilia in cushion development through regional regulation of KLF4.
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Soliman O, Acharya Y, Gilard M, Duffy G, Wijns W, Kannan V, Sultan S. Systematic review of cardiovascular neurocristopathy-contemporary insights and future perspectives. Front Cardiovasc Med 2024; 11:1333265. [PMID: 38660479 PMCID: PMC11040563 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2024.1333265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Neural crest cells (NCCs) are multipotent and are attributed to the combination of complex multimodal gene regulatory mechanisms. Cardiac neural crest (CNC) cells, originating from the dorsal neural tube, are pivotal architects of the cardio-neuro-vascular domain, which orchestrates the embryogenesis of critical cardiac and vascular structures. Remarkably, while the scientific community compiled a comprehensive inventory of neural crest derivatives by the early 1980s, our understanding of the CNC's role in various cardiovascular disease processes still needs to be explored. This review delves into the differentiation of NCC, specifically the CNC cells, and explores the diverse facets of non-syndromic cardiovascular neurocristopathies. Methods A systematic review was conducted as per the PRISMA Statement. Three prominent databases, PubMed, Scopus, and Embase, were searched, which yielded 1,840 studies. We excluded 1,796 studies, and the final selection of 44 studies formed the basis of this comprehensive review. Results Neurocristopathies are a group of genetic disorders that affect the development of cells derived from the NC. Cardiovascular neurocristopathy, i.e., cardiopathy and vasculopathy, associated with the NCC could occur in the form of (1) cardiac septation disorders, mainly the aortico-pulmonary septum; (2) great vessels and vascular disorders; (3) myocardial dysfunction; and (4) a combination of all three phenotypes. This could result from abnormalities in NCC migration, differentiation, or proliferation leading to structural abnormalities and are attributed to genetic, familial, sporadic or acquired causes. Discussion Phenotypic characteristics of cardiovascular neurocristopathies, such as bicuspid aortic valve and thoracic aortic aneurysm, share a common embryonic origin and are surprisingly prevalent in the general population, necessitating further research to identify the underlying pathogenic and genetic factors responsible for these cardiac anomalies. Such discoveries are essential for enhancing diagnostic screening and refining therapeutic interventions, ultimately improving the lives of individuals affected by these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osama Soliman
- Department of Cardiology, Galway University Hospital, Galway, Ireland
- CORRIB-CURAM-Vascular Group Collaborators, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Yogesh Acharya
- CORRIB-CURAM-Vascular Group Collaborators, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
- Western Vascular Institute, Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University Hospital Galway, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Martine Gilard
- CORRIB-CURAM-Vascular Group Collaborators, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
- Department of Cardiology, La Cavale Blanche Hospital, Brest, France
| | - Garry Duffy
- CORRIB-CURAM-Vascular Group Collaborators, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
- Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI), School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - William Wijns
- Department of Cardiology, Galway University Hospital, Galway, Ireland
- CORRIB-CURAM-Vascular Group Collaborators, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Venkatesh Kannan
- CORRIB-CURAM-Vascular Group Collaborators, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
- Irish Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC), University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Sherif Sultan
- CORRIB-CURAM-Vascular Group Collaborators, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
- Western Vascular Institute, Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University Hospital Galway, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
- Department of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Surgery, Galway Clinic, Doughiska, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and University of Galway Affiliated Hospital, Galway, Ireland
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Juan T, Bellec M, Cardoso B, Athéa H, Fukuda N, Albu M, Günther S, Looso M, Stainier DYR. Control of cardiac contractions using Cre-lox and degron strategies in zebrafish. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2309842121. [PMID: 38194447 PMCID: PMC10801847 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309842121] [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: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Cardiac contractions and hemodynamic forces are essential for organ development and homeostasis. Control over cardiac contractions can be achieved pharmacologically or optogenetically. However, these approaches lack specificity or require direct access to the heart. Here, we compare two genetic approaches to control cardiac contractions by modulating the levels of the essential sarcomeric protein Tnnt2a in zebrafish. We first recombine a newly generated tnnt2a floxed allele using multiple lines expressing Cre under the control of cardiomyocyte-specific promoters, and show that it does not recapitulate the tnnt2a/silent heart mutant phenotype in embryos. We show that this lack of early cardiac contraction defects is due, at least in part, to the long half-life of tnnt2a mRNA, which masks the gene deletion effects until the early larval stages. We then generate an endogenous Tnnt2a-eGFP fusion line that we use together with the zGRAD system to efficiently degrade Tnnt2a in all cardiomyocytes. Using single-cell transcriptomics, we find that Tnnt2a depletion leads to cardiac phenotypes similar to those observed in tnnt2a mutants, with a loss of blood and pericardial flow-dependent cell types. Furthermore, we achieve conditional degradation of Tnnt2a-eGFP by splitting the zGRAD protein into two fragments that, when combined with the cpFRB2-FKBP system, can be reassembled upon rapamycin treatment. Thus, this Tnnt2a degradation line enables non-invasive control of cardiac contractions with high spatial and temporal specificity and will help further understand how they shape organ development and homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Juan
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz- Kreislaufforschung), Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
| | - Maëlle Bellec
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz- Kreislaufforschung), Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
| | - Bárbara Cardoso
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz- Kreislaufforschung), Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
| | - Héloïse Athéa
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz- Kreislaufforschung), Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
| | - Nana Fukuda
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz- Kreislaufforschung), Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
| | - Marga Albu
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz- Kreislaufforschung), Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
| | - Stefan Günther
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz- Kreislaufforschung), Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- Bioinformatics and Deep Sequencing Platform, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
| | - Mario Looso
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz- Kreislaufforschung), Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- Bioinformatics Core Unit, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
| | - Didier Y. R. Stainier
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz- Kreislaufforschung), Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
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5
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Chhatwal K, Smith JJ, Bola H, Zahid A, Venkatakrishnan A, Brand T. Uncovering the Genetic Basis of Congenital Heart Disease: Recent Advancements and Implications for Clinical Management. CJC PEDIATRIC AND CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE 2023; 2:464-480. [PMID: 38205435 PMCID: PMC10777202 DOI: 10.1016/j.cjcpc.2023.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most prevalent hereditary disorder, affecting approximately 1% of all live births. A reduction in morbidity and mortality has been achieved with advancements in surgical intervention, yet challenges in managing complications, extracardiac abnormalities, and comorbidities still exist. To address these, a more comprehensive understanding of the genetic basis underlying CHD is required to establish how certain variants are associated with the clinical outcomes. This will enable clinicians to provide personalized treatments by predicting the risk and prognosis, which might improve the therapeutic results and the patient's quality of life. We review how advancements in genome sequencing are changing our understanding of the genetic basis of CHD, discuss experimental approaches to determine the significance of novel variants, and identify barriers to use this knowledge in the clinics. Next-generation sequencing technologies are unravelling the role of oligogenic inheritance, epigenetic modification, genetic mosaicism, and noncoding variants in controlling the expression of candidate CHD-associated genes. However, clinical risk prediction based on these factors remains challenging. Therefore, studies involving human-induced pluripotent stem cells and single-cell sequencing help create preclinical frameworks for determining the significance of novel genetic variants. Clinicians should be aware of the benefits and implications of the responsible use of genomics. To facilitate and accelerate the clinical integration of these novel technologies, clinicians should actively engage in the latest scientific and technical developments to provide better, more personalized management plans for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karanjot Chhatwal
- Imperial College School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Imperial Center of Clinical and Translational Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jacob J. Smith
- Imperial College School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Imperial Center of Clinical and Translational Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Harroop Bola
- Imperial College School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Imperial Center of Clinical and Translational Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Abeer Zahid
- Imperial College School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Imperial Center of Clinical and Translational Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ashwin Venkatakrishnan
- Imperial College School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Imperial Center of Clinical and Translational Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Brand
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Imperial Center of Clinical and Translational Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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6
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Komosa ER, Lin WH, Mahadik B, Bazzi MS, Townsend D, Fisher JP, Ogle BM. A novel perfusion bioreactor promotes the expansion of pluripotent stem cells in a 3D-bioprinted tissue chamber. Biofabrication 2023; 16:014101. [PMID: 37906964 PMCID: PMC10636629 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/ad084a] [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: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
While the field of tissue engineering has progressed rapidly with the advent of 3D bioprinting and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), impact is limited by a lack of functional, thick tissues. One way around this limitation is to 3D bioprint tissues laden with hiPSCs. In this way, the iPSCs can proliferate to populate the thick tissue mass prior to parenchymal cell specification. Here we design a perfusion bioreactor for an hiPSC-laden, 3D-bioprinted chamber with the goal of proliferating the hiPSCs throughout the structure prior to differentiation to generate a thick tissue model. The bioreactor, fabricated with digital light projection, was optimized to perfuse the interior of the hydrogel chamber without leaks and to provide fluid flow around the exterior as well, maximizing nutrient delivery throughout the chamber wall. After 7 days of culture, we found that intermittent perfusion (15 s every 15 min) at 3 ml min-1provides a 1.9-fold increase in the density of stem cell colonies in the engineered tissue relative to analogous chambers cultured under static conditions. We also observed a more uniform distribution of colonies within the tissue wall of perfused structures relative to static controls, reflecting a homogeneous distribution of nutrients from the culture media. hiPSCs remained pluripotent and proliferative with application of fluid flow, which generated wall shear stresses averaging ∼1.0 dyn cm-2. Overall, these promising outcomes following perfusion of a stem cell-laden hydrogel support the production of multiple tissue types with improved thickness, and therefore increased function and utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Komosa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
- NIBIB/NIH Center for Engineering Complex Tissues, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Wei-Han Lin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - Bhushan Mahadik
- NIBIB/NIH Center for Engineering Complex Tissues, College Park, MD, United States of America
- Fishell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Marisa S Bazzi
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - DeWayne Townsend
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
- Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - John P Fisher
- NIBIB/NIH Center for Engineering Complex Tissues, College Park, MD, United States of America
- Fishell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Brenda M Ogle
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
- NIBIB/NIH Center for Engineering Complex Tissues, College Park, MD, United States of America
- Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
- Institute for Engineering in Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
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Huttner IG, Santiago CF, Jacoby A, Cheng D, Trivedi G, Cull S, Cvetkovska J, Chand R, Berger J, Currie PD, Smith KA, Fatkin D. Loss of Sec-1 Family Domain-Containing 1 ( scfd1) Causes Severe Cardiac Defects and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Zebrafish. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2023; 10:408. [PMID: 37887855 PMCID: PMC10607167 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd10100408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common heart muscle disorder that frequently leads to heart failure, arrhythmias, and death. While DCM is often heritable, disease-causing mutations are identified in only ~30% of cases. In a forward genetic mutagenesis screen, we identified a novel zebrafish mutant, heart and head (hahvcc43), characterized by early-onset cardiomyopathy and craniofacial defects. Linkage analysis and next-generation sequencing identified a nonsense variant in the highly conserved scfd1 gene, also known as sly1, that encodes sec1 family domain-containing 1. Sec1/Munc18 proteins, such as Scfd1, are involved in membrane fusion regulating endoplasmic reticulum (ER)/Golgi transport. CRISPR/Cas9-engineered scfd1vcc44 null mutants showed severe cardiac and craniofacial defects and embryonic lethality that recapitulated the phenotype of hahvcc43 mutants. Electron micrographs of scfd1-depleted cardiomyocytes showed reduced myofibril width and sarcomere density, as well as reticular network disorganization and fragmentation of Golgi stacks. Furthermore, quantitative PCR analysis showed upregulation of ER stress response and apoptosis markers. Both heterozygous hahvcc43 mutants and scfd1vcc44 mutants survived to adulthood, showing chamber dilation and reduced ventricular contraction. Collectively, our data implicate scfd1 loss-of-function as the genetic defect at the hahvcc43 locus and provide new insights into the role of scfd1 in cardiac development and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inken G. Huttner
- Molecular Cardiology and Biophysics Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; (I.G.H.); (C.F.S.); (A.J.); (D.C.); (G.T.); (S.C.); (J.C.); (R.C.)
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Celine F. Santiago
- Molecular Cardiology and Biophysics Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; (I.G.H.); (C.F.S.); (A.J.); (D.C.); (G.T.); (S.C.); (J.C.); (R.C.)
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Arie Jacoby
- Molecular Cardiology and Biophysics Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; (I.G.H.); (C.F.S.); (A.J.); (D.C.); (G.T.); (S.C.); (J.C.); (R.C.)
| | - Delfine Cheng
- Molecular Cardiology and Biophysics Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; (I.G.H.); (C.F.S.); (A.J.); (D.C.); (G.T.); (S.C.); (J.C.); (R.C.)
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Gunjan Trivedi
- Molecular Cardiology and Biophysics Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; (I.G.H.); (C.F.S.); (A.J.); (D.C.); (G.T.); (S.C.); (J.C.); (R.C.)
| | - Stephen Cull
- Molecular Cardiology and Biophysics Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; (I.G.H.); (C.F.S.); (A.J.); (D.C.); (G.T.); (S.C.); (J.C.); (R.C.)
| | - Jasmina Cvetkovska
- Molecular Cardiology and Biophysics Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; (I.G.H.); (C.F.S.); (A.J.); (D.C.); (G.T.); (S.C.); (J.C.); (R.C.)
| | - Renee Chand
- Molecular Cardiology and Biophysics Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; (I.G.H.); (C.F.S.); (A.J.); (D.C.); (G.T.); (S.C.); (J.C.); (R.C.)
| | - Joachim Berger
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (J.B.); (P.D.C.)
- European Molecular Biology Labs (EMBL) Australia, Victorian Node, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Peter D. Currie
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (J.B.); (P.D.C.)
- European Molecular Biology Labs (EMBL) Australia, Victorian Node, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Kelly A. Smith
- Department of Anatomy & Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia;
| | - Diane Fatkin
- Molecular Cardiology and Biophysics Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; (I.G.H.); (C.F.S.); (A.J.); (D.C.); (G.T.); (S.C.); (J.C.); (R.C.)
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
- Cardiology Department, St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
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8
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Li Y, Li B, Chen WD, Wang YD. Role of G-protein coupled receptors in cardiovascular diseases. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1130312. [PMID: 37342437 PMCID: PMC10277692 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1130312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, with CVDs accounting for nearly 30% of deaths worldwide each year. G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the most prominent family of receptors on the cell surface, and play an essential regulating cellular physiology and pathology. Some GPCR antagonists, such as β-blockers, are standard therapy for the treatment of CVDs. In addition, nearly one-third of the drugs used to treat CVDs target GPCRs. All the evidence demonstrates the crucial role of GPCRs in CVDs. Over the past decades, studies on the structure and function of GPCRs have identified many targets for the treatment of CVDs. In this review, we summarize and discuss the role of GPCRs in the function of the cardiovascular system from both vascular and heart perspectives, then analyze the complex ways in which multiple GPCRs exert regulatory functions in vascular and heart diseases. We hope to provide new ideas for the treatment of CVDs and the development of novel drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanqiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Boyu Li
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hematology, The People's Hospital of Hebi, Henan, China
| | - Wei-Dong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Receptors-Mediated Gene Regulation and Drug Discovery, School of Basic Medical Science, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Receptors-Mediated Gene Regulation, School of Medicine, The People’s Hospital of Hebi, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Yan-Dong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
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Raiola M, Sendra M, Torres M. Imaging Approaches and the Quantitative Analysis of Heart Development. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2023; 10:145. [PMID: 37103024 PMCID: PMC10144158 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd10040145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Heart morphogenesis is a complex and dynamic process that has captivated researchers for almost a century. This process involves three main stages, during which the heart undergoes growth and folding on itself to form its common chambered shape. However, imaging heart development presents significant challenges due to the rapid and dynamic changes in heart morphology. Researchers have used different model organisms and developed various imaging techniques to obtain high-resolution images of heart development. Advanced imaging techniques have allowed the integration of multiscale live imaging approaches with genetic labeling, enabling the quantitative analysis of cardiac morphogenesis. Here, we discuss the various imaging techniques used to obtain high-resolution images of whole-heart development. We also review the mathematical approaches used to quantify cardiac morphogenesis from 3D and 3D+time images and to model its dynamics at the tissue and cellular levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morena Raiola
- Cardiovascular Regeneration Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), 28029 Madrid, Spain; (M.R.); (M.S.)
- Departamento de Ingeniería Biomedica, ETSI de Telecomunicaciones, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miquel Sendra
- Cardiovascular Regeneration Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), 28029 Madrid, Spain; (M.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Miguel Torres
- Cardiovascular Regeneration Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), 28029 Madrid, Spain; (M.R.); (M.S.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), 28029 Madrid, Spain
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10
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Cardiac fibroblasts and mechanosensation in heart development, health and disease. Nat Rev Cardiol 2022; 20:309-324. [PMID: 36376437 DOI: 10.1038/s41569-022-00799-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The term 'mechanosensation' describes the capacity of cells to translate mechanical stimuli into the coordinated regulation of intracellular signals, cellular function, gene expression and epigenetic programming. This capacity is related not only to the sensitivity of the cells to tissue motion, but also to the decryption of tissue geometric arrangement and mechanical properties. The cardiac stroma, composed of fibroblasts, has been historically considered a mechanically passive component of the heart. However, the latest research suggests that the mechanical functions of these cells are an active and necessary component of the developmental biology programme of the heart that is involved in myocardial growth and homeostasis, and a crucial determinant of cardiac repair and disease. In this Review, we discuss the general concept of cell mechanosensation and force generation as potent regulators in heart development and pathology, and describe the integration of mechanical and biohumoral pathways predisposing the heart to fibrosis and failure. Next, we address the use of 3D culture systems to integrate tissue mechanics to mimic cardiac remodelling. Finally, we highlight the potential of mechanotherapeutic strategies, including pharmacological treatment and device-mediated left ventricular unloading, to reverse remodelling in the failing heart.
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11
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Flow-Mediated Factors in the Pathogenesis of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2022; 9:jcdd9050154. [PMID: 35621865 PMCID: PMC9144087 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd9050154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a life-threatening congenital heart disease that is characterized by severe underdevelopment of left heart structures. Currently, there is no cure, and affected individuals require surgical palliation or cardiac transplantation to survive. Despite these resource-intensive measures, only about half of individuals reach adulthood, often with significant comorbidities such as liver disease and neurodevelopmental disorders. A major barrier in developing effective treatments is that the etiology of HLHS is largely unknown. Here, we discuss how intracardiac blood flow disturbances are an important causal factor in the pathogenesis of impaired left heart growth. Specifically, we highlight results from a recently developed mouse model in which surgically reducing blood flow through the mitral valve after cardiogenesis led to the development of HLHS. In addition, we discuss the role of interventional procedures that are based on improving blood flow through the left heart, such as fetal aortic valvuloplasty. Lastly, using the surgically-induced mouse model, we suggest investigations that can be undertaken to identify the currently unknown biological pathways in left heart growth failure and their associated therapeutic targets.
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12
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Mechanosignaling in vertebrate development. Dev Biol 2022; 488:54-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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13
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Alser M, Salman HE, Naïja A, Seers TD, Khan T, Yalcin HC. Blood Flow Disturbance and Morphological Alterations Following the Right Atrial Ligation in the Chick Embryo. Front Physiol 2022; 13:849603. [PMID: 35492580 PMCID: PMC9047544 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.849603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Collectively known as congenital heart defects (CHDs), cardiac abnormalities at birth are the most common forms of neonatal defects. Being principally responsible for the heart‘s pumping power, ventricles are particularly affected by developmental abnormalities, such as flow disturbances or genomic defects. Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome (HRHS) is a rare disease where the right ventricle is underdeveloped. In this study, we introduce a surgical procedure performed on chick embryo, termed right atrial ligation (RAL) for disturbing hemodynamics within the right heart aiming in order to generate an animal model of HRHS. RAL is a new surgical manipulation, similar to the well-studied left atrial ligation (LAL) surgery but it induces the hemodynamic change into the right side of the heart. After inducing RAL, We utilized techniques such as Doppler ultrasound, x-ray micro-CT, histology, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis, for a comprehensive functional and structural analysis of a developing heart. Our results displayed that RAL does not induce severe flow disturbance and ventricular abnormalities consistent with clinical findings. This study allows us to better understand the hemodynamics-driven CHD development and sensitivities of ventricles under disturbed flows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maha Alser
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Huseyin Enes Salman
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Azza Naïja
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Talha Khan
- Petroleum Engineering Program, Texas A&M University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Huseyin Cagatay Yalcin
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- *Correspondence: Huseyin Cagatay Yalcin,
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14
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Salman HE, Kamal RY, Hijazi ZM, Yalcin HC. Hemodynamic and Structural Comparison of Human Fetal Heart Development Between Normally Growing and Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome-Diagnosed Hearts. Front Physiol 2022; 13:856879. [PMID: 35399257 PMCID: PMC8984126 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.856879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital heart defects (CHDs) affect a wide range of societies with an incidence rate of 1.0–1.2%. These defects initiate at the early developmental stage and result in critical health disorders. Although genetic factors play a role in the formation of CHDs, the occurrence of cases in families with no history of CHDs suggests that mechanobiological forces may also play a role in the initiation and progression of CHDs. Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a critical CHD, which is responsible for 25–40% of all prenatal cardiac deaths. The comparison of healthy and HLHS hearts helps in understanding the main hemodynamic differences related to HLHS. Echocardiography is the most common imaging modality utilized for fetal cardiac assessment. In this study, we utilized echocardiographic images to compare healthy and HLHS human fetal hearts for determining the differences in terms of heart chamber dimensions, valvular flow rates, and hemodynamics. The cross-sectional areas of chamber dimensions are determined from 2D b-mode ultrasound images. Valvular flow rates are measured via Doppler echocardiography, and hemodynamic quantifications are performed with the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The obtained results indicate that cross-sectional areas of the left and right sides of the heart are similar for healthy fetuses during gestational development. The left side of HLHS heart is underdeveloped, and as a result, the hemodynamic parameters such as flow velocity, pressure, and wall shear stress (WSS) are significantly altered compared to those of healthy hearts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huseyin Enes Salman
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Reema Yousef Kamal
- Pediatric Cardiology Division, Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ziyad M. Hijazi
- Sidra Heart Center, Sidra Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Doha, Qatar
| | - Huseyin Cagatay Yalcin
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- *Correspondence: Huseyin Cagatay Yalcin,
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15
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Cardiac forces regulate zebrafish heart valve delamination by modulating Nfat signaling. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001505. [PMID: 35030171 PMCID: PMC8794269 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In the clinic, most cases of congenital heart valve defects are thought to arise through errors that occur after the endothelial–mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) stage of valve development. Although mechanical forces caused by heartbeat are essential modulators of cardiovascular development, their role in these later developmental events is poorly understood. To address this question, we used the zebrafish superior atrioventricular valve (AV) as a model. We found that cellularized cushions of the superior atrioventricular canal (AVC) morph into valve leaflets via mesenchymal–endothelial transition (MEndoT) and tissue sheet delamination. Defects in delamination result in thickened, hyperplastic valves, and reduced heart function. Mechanical, chemical, and genetic perturbation of cardiac forces showed that mechanical stimuli are important regulators of valve delamination. Mechanistically, we show that forces modulate Nfatc activity to control delamination. Together, our results establish the cellular and molecular signature of cardiac valve delamination in vivo and demonstrate the continuous regulatory role of mechanical forces and blood flow during valve formation. Why do developing zebrafish atrioventricular heart valves become hyperplastic under certain hemodynamic conditions? This study suggests that part of the answer lies in how the mechanosensitive Nfat pathway regulates the valve mesenchymal-to-endothelial transition.
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16
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Ebrahimi N, Bradley C, Hunter P. An integrative multiscale view of early cardiac looping. WIREs Mech Dis 2022; 14:e1535. [PMID: 35023324 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The heart is the first organ to form and function during the development of an embryo. Heart development consists of a series of events believed to be highly conserved in vertebrates. Development of heart begins with the formation of the cardiac fields followed by a linear heart tube formation. The straight heart tube then undergoes a ventral bending prior to further bending and helical torsion to form a looped heart. The looping phase is then followed by ballooning, septation, and valve formation giving rise to a four-chambered heart in avians and mammals. The looping phase plays a central role in heart development. Successful looping is essential for proper alignment of the future cardiac chambers and tracts. As aberrant looping results in various congenital heart diseases, the mechanisms of cardiac looping have been studied for several decades by various disciplines. Many groups have studied anatomy, biology, genetics, and mechanical processes during heart looping, and have proposed multiple mechanisms. Computational modeling approaches have been utilized to examine the proposed mechanisms of the looping process. Still, the exact underlying mechanism(s) controlling the looping phase remain poorly understood. Although further experimental measurements are obviously still required, the need for more integrative computational modeling approaches is also apparent in order to make sense of the vast amount of experimental data and the complexity of multiscale developmental systems. Indeed, there needs to be an iterative interaction between experimentation and modeling in order to properly find the gap in the existing data and to validate proposed hypotheses. This article is categorized under: Cardiovascular Diseases > Genetics/Genomics/Epigenetics Cardiovascular Diseases > Computational Models Cardiovascular Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazanin Ebrahimi
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Christopher Bradley
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Peter Hunter
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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17
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Wang Z, Ding Y, Satta S, Roustaei M, Fei P, Hsiai TK. A hybrid of light-field and light-sheet imaging to study myocardial function and intracardiac blood flow during zebrafish development. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009175. [PMID: 34228702 PMCID: PMC8284633 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomechanical forces intimately contribute to cardiac morphogenesis. However, volumetric imaging to investigate the cardiac mechanics with high temporal and spatial resolution remains an imaging challenge. We hereby integrated light-field microscopy (LFM) with light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM), coupled with a retrospective gating method, to simultaneously access myocardial contraction and intracardiac blood flow at 200 volumes per second. While LSFM allows for the reconstruction of the myocardial function, LFM enables instantaneous acquisition of the intracardiac blood cells traversing across the valves. We further adopted deformable image registration to quantify the ventricular wall displacement and particle tracking velocimetry to monitor intracardiac blood flow. The integration of LFM and LSFM enabled the time-dependent tracking of the individual blood cells and the differential rates of segmental wall displacement during a cardiac cycle. Taken together, we demonstrated a hybrid system, coupled with our image analysis pipeline, to simultaneously capture the myocardial wall motion with intracardiac blood flow during cardiac development. During the conception of the heart, cardiac muscular contraction and blood flow generate biomechanical forces to influence the functional and structural development. To elucidate the underlying biomechanical mechanisms, we have embraced the zebrafish system for the ease of genetic and pharmacological manipulations and its rapidity for organ development. However, acquiring the dynamic processes (space + time domain) in the small beating zebrafish heart remains a challenge. In the presence of a rapid heartbeat, microscopy is confined by temporal resolution to image the cardiac contraction and blood flow. In this context, we demonstrated an integrated light-sheet and light-field imaging system to visualize cardiac contraction along with the flowing blood cells inside the cardiac chambers. Assuming the periodicity of the cardiac cycle, we synchronized the image data in post-processing for 3-D reconstruction. We further quantified the velocity of the various regions of cardiac muscular contraction, and tracked the individual blood cells during the cardiac cycles. The time-dependent velocity maps allow for uncovering differential segments of cardiac contraction and relaxation, and for revealing the patterns of blood flow. Thus, our integrated light-sheet and light-field imaging system provides an experimental basis to further investigate cardiac function and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoqiang Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Yichen Ding
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Sandro Satta
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Mehrdad Roustaei
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Peng Fei
- School of Optical and Electronic Information-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- * E-mail: (PF); (TKH)
| | - Tzung K. Hsiai
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PF); (TKH)
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18
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King O, Sunyovszki I, Terracciano CM. Vascularisation of pluripotent stem cell-derived myocardium: biomechanical insights for physiological relevance in cardiac tissue engineering. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1117-1136. [PMID: 33855631 PMCID: PMC8245389 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02557-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The myocardium is a diverse environment, requiring coordination between a variety of specialised cell types. Biochemical crosstalk between cardiomyocytes (CM) and microvascular endothelial cells (MVEC) is essential to maintain contractility and healthy tissue homeostasis. Yet, as myocytes beat, heterocellular communication occurs also through constantly fluctuating biomechanical stimuli, namely (1) compressive and tensile forces generated directly by the beating myocardium, and (2) pulsatile shear stress caused by intra-microvascular flow. Despite endothelial cells (EC) being highly mechanosensitive, the role of biomechanical stimuli from beating CM as a regulatory mode of myocardial-microvascular crosstalk is relatively unexplored. Given that cardiac biomechanics are dramatically altered during disease, and disruption of myocardial-microvascular communication is a known driver of pathological remodelling, understanding the biomechanical context necessary for healthy myocardial-microvascular interaction is of high importance. The current gap in understanding can largely be attributed to technical limitations associated with reproducing dynamic physiological biomechanics in multicellular in vitro platforms, coupled with limited in vitro viability of primary cardiac tissue. However, differentiation of CM from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) has provided an unlimited source of human myocytes suitable for designing in vitro models. This technology is now converging with the diverse field of tissue engineering, which utilises in vitro techniques designed to enhance physiological relevance, such as biomimetic extracellular matrix (ECM) as 3D scaffolds, microfluidic perfusion of vascularised networks, and complex multicellular architectures generated via 3D bioprinting. These strategies are now allowing researchers to design in vitro platforms which emulate the cell composition, architectures, and biomechanics specific to the myocardial-microvascular microenvironment. Inclusion of physiological multicellularity and biomechanics may also induce a more mature phenotype in stem cell-derived CM, further enhancing their value. This review aims to highlight the importance of biomechanical stimuli as determinants of CM-EC crosstalk in cardiac health and disease, and to explore emerging tissue engineering and hPSC technologies which can recapitulate physiological dynamics to enhance the value of in vitro cardiac experimentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oisín King
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, ICTEM 4th floor, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
| | - Ilona Sunyovszki
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, ICTEM 4th floor, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Cesare M Terracciano
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, ICTEM 4th floor, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
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19
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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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20
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Rafatian N, Vizely K, Al Asafen H, Korolj A, Radisic M. Drawing Inspiration from Developmental Biology for Cardiac Tissue Engineers. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2021; 5:e2000190. [PMID: 34008910 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202000190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
A sound understanding of developmental biology is part of the foundation of effective stem cell-derived tissue engineering. Here, the key concepts of cardiac development that are successfully applied in a bioinspired approach to growing engineered cardiac tissues, are reviewed. The native cardiac milieu is studied extensively from embryonic to adult phenotypes, as it provides a resource of factors, mechanisms, and protocols to consider when working toward establishing living tissues in vitro. It begins with the various cell types that constitute the cardiac tissue. It is discussed how myocytes interact with other cell types and their microenvironment and how they change over time from the embryonic to the adult states, with a view on how such changes affect the tissue function and may be used in engineered tissue models. Key embryonic signaling pathways that have been leveraged in the design of culture media and differentiation protocols are presented. The cellular microenvironment, from extracellular matrix chemical and physical properties, to the dynamic mechanical and electrical forces that are exerted on tissues is explored. It is shown that how such microenvironmental factors can inform the design of biomaterials, scaffolds, stimulation bioreactors, and maturation readouts, and suggest considerations for ongoing biomimetic advancement of engineered cardiac tissues and regeneration strategies for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naimeh Rafatian
- Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Katrina Vizely
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - Hadel Al Asafen
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - Anastasia Korolj
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3E5, Canada.,Institute of Biomaterials Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Milica Radisic
- Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4, Canada.,Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3E5, Canada.,Institute of Biomaterials Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G9, Canada
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21
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Alser M, Shurbaji S, Yalcin HC. Mechanosensitive Pathways in Heart Development: Findings from Chick Embryo Studies. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2021; 8:jcdd8040032. [PMID: 33810288 PMCID: PMC8065436 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd8040032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The heart is the first organ that starts to function in a developing embryo. It continues to undergo dramatic morphological changes while pumping blood to the rest of the body. Genetic regulation of heart development is partly governed by hemodynamics. Chick embryo is a major animal model that has been used extensively in cardiogenesis research. To reveal mechanosensitive pathways, a variety of surgical interferences and chemical treatments can be applied to the chick embryo to manipulate the blood flow. Such manipulations alter expressions of mechanosensitive genes which may anticipate induction of morphological changes in the developing heart. This paper aims to present different approaches for generating clinically relevant disturbed hemodynamics conditions using this embryonic chick model and to summarize identified mechanosensitive genes using the model, providing insights into embryonic origins of congenital heart defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maha Alser
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar; (M.A.); (S.S.)
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar
| | - Samar Shurbaji
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar; (M.A.); (S.S.)
| | - Huseyin C. Yalcin
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar; (M.A.); (S.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +974-4403-7719
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22
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Computational Modeling of Blood Flow Hemodynamics for Biomechanical Investigation of Cardiac Development and Disease. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2021; 8:jcdd8020014. [PMID: 33572675 PMCID: PMC7912127 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd8020014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The heart is the first functional organ in a developing embryo. Cardiac development continues throughout developmental stages while the heart goes through a serious of drastic morphological changes. Previous animal experiments as well as clinical observations showed that disturbed hemodynamics interfere with the development of the heart and leads to the formation of a variety of defects in heart valves, heart chambers, and blood vessels, suggesting that hemodynamics is a governing factor for cardiogenesis, and disturbed hemodynamics is an important source of congenital heart defects. Therefore, there is an interest to image and quantify the flowing blood through a developing heart. Flow measurement in embryonic fetal heart can be performed using advanced techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or echocardiography. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling is another approach especially useful when the other imaging modalities are not available and in-depth flow assessment is needed. The approach is based on numerically solving relevant physical equations to approximate the flow hemodynamics and tissue behavior. This approach is becoming widely adapted to simulate cardiac flows during the embryonic development. While there are few studies for human fetal cardiac flows, many groups used zebrafish and chicken embryos as useful models for elucidating normal and diseased cardiogenesis. In this paper, we explain the major steps to generate CFD models for simulating cardiac hemodynamics in vivo and summarize the latest findings on chicken and zebrafish embryos as well as human fetal hearts.
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23
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Abstract
Dynamic imaging is a powerful approach to assess the function of a developing organ system. The heart is a dynamic organ that undergoes quick morphological and mechanical changes through early embryonic development. Defining the embyonic mouse heart's normal function is important for our own understanding of human heart development and will inform us on treatments and prevention of congenital heart defects (CHD). Traditional methods such as ultrasound or fluorescence-based microscopy are suitable for live dynamic imaging, are excellent to visualize structure and connect gene expression to phenotypes, but can be of low quality in resolving fine features and lack imaging depth and scale to fully appreciate organ morphogenesis. Additionally, previous methods can be limited in accommodating a live imaging apparatus capable of sustaining whole embryo development for extended periods time. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is unique in this circumstance because acquisition of three-dimensional images without contrast reagents, at single cell resolution make it a suitable modality to visualize fine structures in the developing embryo. OCT setups are highly customizable for live imaging because of the tethered imaging arm, due to its setup as a fiber-based interferometer. OCT allows for 4D (3D + time) functional imaging of living mouse embryos and can provide functional and mechanical information to ascertain how the heart's pump function changes through development. In this chapter, we will focus on how we use OCT to visualize live heart dynamics at different stages of development and provide mechanical information to reveal functional properties of the developing heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew L Lopez
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Irina V Larina
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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24
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Agarwal P, Zaidel-Bar R. Mechanosensing in embryogenesis. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2020; 68:1-9. [PMID: 32898827 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2020.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical forces generated by living cells at the molecular level propagate to the cellular and organismal level and have profound consequences for embryogenesis. A direct result of force application is movement, as occurs in chromosome separation, cell migration, or tissue folding. A less direct, but equally important effect of force, is the activation of mechanosensitive signaling, which allows cells to probe their mechanical surrounding and communicate with each other over short and long distances. In this review, we focus on forces as a means of conveying information and affecting cell behavior during embryogenesis. We discuss four developmental processes that demonstrate the involvement of force in cell fate determination, growth, morphogenesis, and organogenesis, in a variety of model organisms. Finally, a generalizable pathway of mechanosensing and mechanotransduction in vivo is described, and we highlight similarities between morphogens and forces in patterning of embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priti Agarwal
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ronen Zaidel-Bar
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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25
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Elahi S, Blackburn BJ, Lapierre-Landry M, Gu S, Rollins AM, Jenkins MW. Semi-automated shear stress measurements in developing embryonic hearts. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2020; 11:5297-5305. [PMID: 33014615 PMCID: PMC7510878 DOI: 10.1364/boe.395952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Blood-induced shear stress influences gene expression. Abnormal shear stress patterns on the endocardium of the early-stage heart tube can lead to congenital heart defects. To have a better understanding of these mechanisms, it is essential to include shear stress measurements in longitudinal cohort studies of cardiac development. Previously reported approaches are computationally expensive and nonpractical when assessing many animals. Here, we introduce a new approach to estimate shear stress that does not rely on recording 4D image sets and extensive post processing. Our method uses two adjacent optical coherence tomography frames (B-scans) where lumen geometry and flow direction are determined from the structural data and the velocity is measured from the Doppler OCT signal. We validated our shear stress estimate by flow phantom experiments and applied it to live quail embryo hearts where observed shear stress patterns were similar to previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Elahi
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western
Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case
Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106,
USA
| | - Brecken J. Blackburn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case
Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106,
USA
| | - Maryse Lapierre-Landry
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case
Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106,
USA
| | - Shi Gu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case
Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106,
USA
| | - Andrew M. Rollins
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case
Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106,
USA
| | - Michael W. Jenkins
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western
Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case
Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106,
USA
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26
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BVES downregulation in non-syndromic tetralogy of fallot is associated with ventricular outflow tract stenosis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14167. [PMID: 32843646 PMCID: PMC7447802 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70806-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BVES is a transmembrane protein, our previous work demonstrated that single nucleotide mutations of BVES in tetralogy of fallot (TOF) patients cause a downregulation of BVES transcription. However, the relationship between BVES and the pathogenesis of TOF has not been determined. Here we reported our research results about the relationship between BVES and the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) stenosis. BVES expression was significantly downregulated in most TOF samples compared with controls. The expression of the second heart field (SHF) regulatory network genes, including NKX2.5, GATA4 and HAND2, was also decreased in the TOF samples. In zebrafish, bves knockdown resulted in looping defects and ventricular outflow tract (VOT) stenosis, which was mostly rescued by injecting bves mRNA. bves knockdown in zebrafish also decreased the expression of SHF genes, such as nkx2.5, gata4 and hand2, consistent with the TOF samples` results. The dual-fluorescence reporter system analysis showed that BVES positively regulated the transcriptional activity of GATA4, NKX2.5 and HAND2 promoters. In zebrafish, nkx2.5 mRNA partially rescued VOT stenosis caused by bves knockdown. These results indicate that BVES downregulation may be associated with RVOT stenosis of non-syndromic TOF, and bves is probably involved in the development of VOT in zebrafish.
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27
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Advances in imaging feto-placental vasculature: new tools to elucidate the early life origins of health and disease. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2020; 12:168-178. [PMID: 32746961 DOI: 10.1017/s2040174420000720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Optimal placental function is critical for fetal development, and therefore a crucial consideration for understanding the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD). The structure of the fetal side of the placental vasculature is an important determinant of fetal growth and cardiovascular development. There are several imaging modalities for assessing feto-placental structure including stereology, electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, micro-computed tomography, light-sheet microscopy, ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging. In this review, we present current methodologies for imaging feto-placental vasculature morphology ex vivo and in vivo in human and experimental models, their advantages and limitations and how these provide insight into placental function and fetal outcomes. These imaging approaches add important perspective to our understanding of placental biology and have potential to be new tools to elucidate a deeper understanding of DOHaD.
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28
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Keller BB, Kowalski WJ, Tinney JP, Tobita K, Hu N. Validating the Paradigm That Biomechanical Forces Regulate Embryonic Cardiovascular Morphogenesis and Are Fundamental in the Etiology of Congenital Heart Disease. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2020; 7:E23. [PMID: 32545681 PMCID: PMC7344498 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd7020023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The goal of this review is to provide a broad overview of the biomechanical maturation and regulation of vertebrate cardiovascular (CV) morphogenesis and the evidence for mechanistic relationships between function and form relevant to the origins of congenital heart disease (CHD). The embryonic heart has been investigated for over a century, initially focusing on the chick embryo due to the opportunity to isolate and investigate myocardial electromechanical maturation, the ability to directly instrument and measure normal cardiac function, intervene to alter ventricular loading conditions, and then investigate changes in functional and structural maturation to deduce mechanism. The paradigm of "Develop and validate quantitative techniques, describe normal, perturb the system, describe abnormal, then deduce mechanisms" was taught to many young investigators by Dr. Edward B. Clark and then validated by a rapidly expanding number of teams dedicated to investigate CV morphogenesis, structure-function relationships, and pathogenic mechanisms of CHD. Pioneering studies using the chick embryo model rapidly expanded into a broad range of model systems, particularly the mouse and zebrafish, to investigate the interdependent genetic and biomechanical regulation of CV morphogenesis. Several central morphogenic themes have emerged. First, CV morphogenesis is inherently dependent upon the biomechanical forces that influence cell and tissue growth and remodeling. Second, embryonic CV systems dynamically adapt to changes in biomechanical loading conditions similar to mature systems. Third, biomechanical loading conditions dynamically impact and are regulated by genetic morphogenic systems. Fourth, advanced imaging techniques coupled with computational modeling provide novel insights to validate regulatory mechanisms. Finally, insights regarding the genetic and biomechanical regulation of CV morphogenesis and adaptation are relevant to current regenerative strategies for patients with CHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley B. Keller
- Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute, Greater Louisville and Western Kentucky Practice, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - William J. Kowalski
- Laboratory of Stem Cell and Neuro-Vascular Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Joseph P. Tinney
- Kosair Charities Pediatric Heart Research Program, Cardiovascular Innovation Institute, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA;
| | - Kimimasa Tobita
- Department of Medical Affairs, Abiomed Japan K.K., Muromachi Higashi Mitsui Bldg, Tokyo 103-0022, Japan;
| | - Norman Hu
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA;
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29
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Parnall M, Perdios C, Pang KL, Rochette S, Loughna S. Characterisation of the developing heart in a pressure overloaded model utilising RNA sequencing to direct functional analysis. J Anat 2019; 236:549-563. [PMID: 31724174 PMCID: PMC7018637 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiogenesis is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors, with blood flow playing a critical role in cardiac remodelling. Perturbation of any of these factors could lead to abnormal heart development and hence the formation of congenital heart defects. Although abnormal blood flow has been associated with a number of heart defects, the effects of abnormal pressure load on the developing heart gene expression profile have to date not clearly been defined. To determine the heart transcriptional response to haemodynamic alteration during development, outflow tract (OFT) banding was employed in the chick embryo at Hamburger and Hamilton stage (HH) 21. Stereological and expression studies, including the use of global expression analysis by RNA sequencing with an optimised procedure for effective globin depletion, were subsequently performed on HH29 OFT-banded hearts and compared with sham control hearts, with further targeted expression investigations at HH35. The OFT-banded hearts were found to have an abnormal morphology with a rounded appearance and left-sided dilation in comparison with controls. Internal analysis showed they typically had a ventricular septal defect and reductions in the myocardial wall and trabeculae, with an increase in the lumen on the left side of the heart. There was also a significant reduction in apoptosis. The differentially expressed genes were found to be predominately involved in contraction, metabolism, apoptosis and neural development, suggesting a cardioprotective mechanism had been induced. Therefore, altered haemodynamics during development leads to left-sided dilation and differential expression of genes that may be associated with stress and maintaining cardiac output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Parnall
- School of Life Sciences, Medical School, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Chrysostomos Perdios
- School of Life Sciences, Medical School, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Kar Lai Pang
- School of Life Sciences, Medical School, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Sophie Rochette
- School of Life Sciences, Medical School, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Siobhan Loughna
- School of Life Sciences, Medical School, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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30
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Courchaine K, Rugonyi S. Optical coherence tomography for in vivo imaging of endocardial to mesenchymal transition during avian heart development. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2019; 10:5989-5995. [PMID: 31799059 PMCID: PMC6865111 DOI: 10.1364/boe.10.005989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The endocardial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT) that occurs in endocardial cushions during heart development is critical for proper heart septation and formation of the heart's valves. In EndMT, cells delaminate from the endocardium and migrate into the previously acellular endocardial cushions. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging uses the optical properties of tissues for contrast, and during early development OCT can differentiate cellular versus acellular tissues. Here we show that OCT can be used to non-invasively track EndMT progression in vivo in the outflow tract cushions of chicken embryos. This enables in vivo studies to elucidate factors leading to cardiac malformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Courchaine
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, 3303 SW Bond Ave. Mail/Code:CH13B, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Sandra Rugonyi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, 3303 SW Bond Ave. Mail/Code:CH13B, Portland, OR 97239, USA
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31
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Vianello S, Lutolf MP. Understanding the Mechanobiology of Early Mammalian Development through Bioengineered Models. Dev Cell 2019; 48:751-763. [PMID: 30913407 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.02.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 01/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Research in developmental biology has been recently enriched by a multitude of in vitro models recapitulating key milestones of mammalian embryogenesis. These models obviate the challenge posed by the inaccessibility of implanted embryos, multiply experimental opportunities, and favor approaches traditionally associated with organoids and tissue engineering. Here, we provide a perspective on how these models can be applied to study the mechano-geometrical contributions to early mammalian development, which still escape direct verification in species that develop in utero. We thus outline new avenues for robust and scalable perturbation of geometry and mechanics in ways traditionally limited to non-implanting developmental models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Vianello
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences (SV) and School of Engineering (STI), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Matthias P Lutolf
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences (SV) and School of Engineering (STI), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland; Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Science (SB), EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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32
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Männer J, Yelbuz TM. Functional Morphology of the Cardiac Jelly in the Tubular Heart of Vertebrate Embryos. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2019; 6:E12. [PMID: 30818886 PMCID: PMC6463132 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd6010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The early embryonic heart is a multi-layered tube consisting of (1) an outer myocardial tube; (2) an inner endocardial tube; and (3) an extracellular matrix layer interposed between the myocardium and endocardium, called "cardiac jelly" (CJ). During the past decades, research on CJ has mainly focused on its molecular and cellular biological aspects. This review focuses on the morphological and biomechanical aspects of CJ. Special attention is given to (1) the spatial distribution and fiber architecture of CJ; (2) the morphological dynamics of CJ during the cardiac cycle; and (3) the removal/remodeling of CJ during advanced heart looping stages, which leads to the formation of ventricular trabeculations and endocardial cushions. CJ acts as a hydraulic skeleton, displaying striking structural and functional similarities with the mesoglea of jellyfish. CJ not only represents a filler substance, facilitating end-systolic occlusion of the embryonic heart lumen. Its elastic components antagonize the systolic deformations of the heart wall and thereby power the refilling phase of the ventricular tube. Non-uniform spatial distribution of CJ generates non-circular cross sections of the opened endocardial tube (initially elliptic, later deltoid), which seem to be advantageous for valveless pumping. Endocardial cushions/ridges are cellularized remnants of non-removed CJ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jörg Männer
- Group Cardio-Embryology, Institute of Anatomy and Embryology UMG, Georg-August-University Goettingen, D-37075 Goettingen, Germany.
| | - Talat Mesud Yelbuz
- Department of Cardiac Sciences, King Abdulaziz Cardiac Center, Section of Pediatric Cardiology, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia.
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33
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Courchaine K, Gray MJ, Beel K, Thornburg K, Rugonyi S. 4-D Computational Modeling of Cardiac Outflow Tract Hemodynamics over Looping Developmental Stages in Chicken Embryos. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2019; 6:E11. [PMID: 30818869 PMCID: PMC6463052 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd6010011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiogenesis is interdependent with blood flow within the embryonic system. Recently, a number of studies have begun to elucidate the effects of hemodynamic forces acting upon and within cells as the cardiovascular system begins to develop. Changes in flow are picked up by mechanosensors in endocardial cells exposed to wall shear stress (the tangential force exerted by blood flow) and by myocardial and mesenchymal cells exposed to cyclic strain (deformation). Mechanosensors stimulate a variety of mechanotransduction pathways which elicit functional cellular responses in order to coordinate the structural development of the heart and cardiovascular system. The looping stages of heart development are critical to normal cardiac morphogenesis and have previously been shown to be extremely sensitive to experimental perturbations in flow, with transient exposure to altered flow dynamics causing severe late stage cardiac defects in animal models. This paper seeks to expand on past research and to begin establishing a detailed baseline for normal hemodynamic conditions in the chick outflow tract during these critical looping stages. Specifically, we will use 4-D (3-D over time) optical coherence tomography to create in vivo geometries for computational fluid dynamics simulations of the cardiac cycle, enabling us to study in great detail 4-D velocity patterns and heterogeneous wall shear stress distributions on the outflow tract endocardium. This information will be useful in determining the normal variation of hemodynamic patterns as well as in mapping hemodynamics to developmental processes such as morphological changes and signaling events during and after the looping stages examined here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Courchaine
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
| | - MacKenzie J Gray
- School of Public Health, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97035, USA.
| | | | - Kent Thornburg
- Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
| | - Sandra Rugonyi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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