1
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Gafranek JT, D'Aniello E, Ravisankar P, Thakkar K, Vagnozzi RJ, Lim HW, Salomonis N, Waxman JS. Sinus venosus adaptation models prolonged cardiovascular disease and reveals insights into evolutionary transitions of the vertebrate heart. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5509. [PMID: 37679366 PMCID: PMC10485058 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41184-y] [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: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
How two-chambered hearts in basal vertebrates have evolved from single-chamber hearts found in ancestral chordates remains unclear. Here, we show that the teleost sinus venosus (SV) is a chamber-like vessel comprised of an outer layer of smooth muscle cells. We find that in adult zebrafish nr2f1a mutants, which lack atria, the SV comes to physically resemble the thicker bulbus arteriosus (BA) at the arterial pole of the heart through an adaptive, hypertensive response involving smooth muscle proliferation due to aberrant hemodynamic flow. Single cell transcriptomics show that smooth muscle and endothelial cell populations within the adapting SV also take on arterial signatures. Bulk transcriptomics of the blood sinuses flanking the tunicate heart reinforce a model of greater equivalency in ancestral chordate BA and SV precursors. Our data simultaneously reveal that secondary complications from congenital heart defects can develop in adult zebrafish similar to those in humans and that the foundation of equivalency between flanking auxiliary vessels may remain latent within basal vertebrate hearts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob T Gafranek
- Molecular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
- Division of Molecular Cardiovascular Biology and Heart Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Enrico D'Aniello
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - Padmapriyadarshini Ravisankar
- Division of Molecular Cardiovascular Biology and Heart Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Kairavee Thakkar
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
| | - Ronald J Vagnozzi
- Division of Cardiology, Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine, Consortium for Fibrosis Research and Translation (CFReT), University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Hee-Woong Lim
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
| | - Nathan Salomonis
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
| | - Joshua S Waxman
- Division of Molecular Cardiovascular Biology and Heart Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA.
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
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2
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Coppola A, Lombari P, Mazzella E, Capolongo G, Simeoni M, Perna AF, Ingrosso D, Borriello M. Zebrafish as a Model of Cardiac Pathology and Toxicity: Spotlight on Uremic Toxins. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065656. [PMID: 36982730 PMCID: PMC10052014 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an increasing health care problem. About 10% of the general population is affected by CKD, representing the sixth cause of death in the world. Cardiovascular events are the main mortality cause in CKD, with a cardiovascular risk 10 times higher in these patients than the rate observed in healthy subjects. The gradual decline of the kidney leads to the accumulation of uremic solutes with a negative effect on every organ, especially on the cardiovascular system. Mammalian models, sharing structural and functional similarities with humans, have been widely used to study cardiovascular disease mechanisms and test new therapies, but many of them are rather expensive and difficult to manipulate. Over the last few decades, zebrafish has become a powerful non-mammalian model to study alterations associated with human disease. The high conservation of gene function, low cost, small size, rapid growth, and easiness of genetic manipulation are just some of the features of this experimental model. More specifically, embryonic cardiac development and physiological responses to exposure to numerous toxin substances are similar to those observed in mammals, making zebrafish an ideal model to study cardiac development, toxicity, and cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annapaola Coppola
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Patrizia Lombari
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Elvira Mazzella
- Department of Translational Medical Science, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanna Capolongo
- Department of Translational Medical Science, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Mariadelina Simeoni
- Department of Translational Medical Science, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandra F. Perna
- Department of Translational Medical Science, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Diego Ingrosso
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Margherita Borriello
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy
- Correspondence:
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3
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MacRae CA, Peterson RT. Zebrafish as a Mainstream Model for In Vivo Systems Pharmacology and Toxicology. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2023; 63:43-64. [PMID: 36151053 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-051421-105617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Pharmacology and toxicology are part of a much broader effort to understand the relationship between chemistry and biology. While biomedicine has necessarily focused on specific cases, typically of direct human relevance, there are real advantages in pursuing more systematic approaches to characterizing how health and disease are influenced by small molecules and other interventions. In this context, the zebrafish is now established as the representative screenable vertebrate and, through ongoing advances in the available scale of genome editing and automated phenotyping, is beginning to address systems-level solutions to some biomedical problems. The addition of broader efforts to integrate information content across preclinical model organisms and the incorporation of rigorous analytics, including closed-loop deep learning, will facilitate efforts to create systems pharmacology and toxicology with the ability to continuously optimize chemical biological interactions around societal needs. In this review, we outline progress toward this goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calum A MacRae
- Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
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4
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Zebrafish as a Model to Study Vascular Elastic Fibers and Associated Pathologies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042102. [PMID: 35216218 PMCID: PMC8875079 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Many extensible tissues such as skin, lungs, and blood vessels require elasticity to function properly. The recoil of elastic energy stored during a stretching phase is provided by elastic fibers, which are mostly composed of elastin and fibrillin-rich microfibrils. In arteries, the lack of elastic fibers leads to a weakening of the vessel wall with an increased risk to develop cardiovascular defects such as stenosis, aneurysms, and dissections. The development of new therapeutic molecules involves preliminary tests in animal models that recapitulate the disease and whose response to drugs should be as close as possible to that of humans. Due to its superior in vivo imaging possibilities and the broad tool kit for forward and reverse genetics, the zebrafish has become an important model organism to study human pathologies. Moreover, it is particularly adapted to large scale studies, making it an attractive model in particular for the first steps of investigations. In this review, we discuss the relevance of the zebrafish model for the study of elastic fiber-related vascular pathologies. We evidence zebrafish as a compelling alternative to conventional mouse models.
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5
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Abrial M, Basu S, Huang M, Butty V, Schwertner A, Jeffrey S, Jordan D, Burns CE, Burns CG. Latent TGFβ binding proteins 1 and 3 protect the larval zebrafish outflow tract from aneurysmal dilatation. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:274139. [PMID: 35098309 PMCID: PMC8990920 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.046979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aortic root aneurysm is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in Loeys-Dietz and Marfan Syndromes, where perturbations in TGFβ signaling play a causal or contributory role, respectively. Despite the advantages of cross-species disease modeling, animal models of aortic root aneurysm are largely restricted to genetically engineered mice. Here, we report that zebrafish devoid of latent TGFβ binding protein (ltbp) 1 and 3 develop rapid and severe aneurysm of the outflow tract (OFT), the aortic root equivalent. Similar to syndromic aneurysm tissue, the distended OFTs display evidence for paradoxical hyperactivated TGFβ signaling. RNA-sequencing revealed significant overlap between the molecular signatures of disease tissue from mutant zebrafish and Marfan mice. Lastly, chemical inhibition of TGFβ signaling in wild-type animals phenocopied mutants but chemical activation did not, demonstrating that TGFβ signaling is protective against aneurysm. Human relevance is supported by recent studies implicating genetic lesions in LTBP3 and potentially LTBP1 as heritable causes of aortic root aneurysm. Ultimately, our data demonstrate that zebrafish can now be leveraged to interrogate thoracic aneurysmal disease and identify novel lead compounds through small molecule suppressor screens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryline Abrial
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sandeep Basu
- Division of Basic and Translational Cardiovascular Research, Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mengmeng Huang
- Division of Basic and Translational Cardiovascular Research, Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Vincent Butty
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology BioMicroCenter, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Asya Schwertner
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Spencer Jeffrey
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Daniel Jordan
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Caroline E Burns
- Division of Basic and Translational Cardiovascular Research, Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - C Geoffrey Burns
- Division of Basic and Translational Cardiovascular Research, Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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6
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Zhou Q, Lei L, Zhang H, Chiu SC, Gao L, Yang R, Wei W, Peng G, Zhu X, Xiong JW. Proprotein convertase furina is required for heart development in zebrafish. J Cell Sci 2021; 134:272418. [PMID: 34622921 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.258432] [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: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac looping and trabeculation are key processes during cardiac chamber maturation. However, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here, we report the isolation, cloning and characterization of the proprotein convertase furina from the cardiovascular mutant loft in zebrafish. loft is an ethylnitrosourea-induced mutant and has evident defects in the cardiac outflow tract, heart looping and trabeculation, the craniofacial region and pharyngeal arch arteries. Positional cloning revealed that furina mRNA was barely detectable in loft mutants, and loft failed to complement the TALEN-induced furina mutant pku338, confirming that furina is responsible for the loft mutant phenotypes. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that Notch reporter Tg(tp1:mCherry) signals were largely eliminated in mutant hearts, and overexpression of the Notch intracellular domain partially rescued the mutant phenotypes, probably due to the lack of Furina-mediated cleavage processing of Notch1b proteins, the only Notch receptor expressed in the heart. Together, our data suggest a potential post-translational modification of Notch1b proteins via the proprotein convertase Furina in the heart, and unveil the function of the Furina-Notch1b axis in cardiac looping and trabeculation in zebrafish, and possibly in other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinchao Zhou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Lei Lei
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Hefei Zhang
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shih-Ching Chiu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Lu Gao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Ran Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Wensheng Wei
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Gang Peng
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiaojun Zhu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jing-Wei Xiong
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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7
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Kugler E, Snodgrass R, Bowley G, Plant K, Serbanovic-Canic J, Hamilton N, Evans PC, Chico T, Armitage P. The effect of absent blood flow on the zebrafish cerebral and trunk vasculature. VASCULAR BIOLOGY (BRISTOL, ENGLAND) 2021; 3:1-16. [PMID: 34522840 PMCID: PMC8428019 DOI: 10.1530/vb-21-0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The role of blood flow in vascular development is complex and context-dependent. In this study, we quantify the effect of the lack of blood flow on embryonic vascular development on two vascular beds, namely the cerebral and trunk vasculature in zebrafish. We perform this by analysing vascular topology, endothelial cell (EC) number, EC distribution, apoptosis, and inflammatory response in animals with normal blood flow or absent blood flow. We find that absent blood flow reduced vascular area and EC number significantly in both examined vascular beds, but the effect is more severe in the cerebral vasculature, and severity increases over time. Absent blood flow leads to an increase in non-EC-specific apoptosis without increasing tissue inflammation, as quantified by cerebral immune cell numbers and nitric oxide. Similarly, while stereotypic vascular patterning in the trunk is maintained, intra-cerebral vessels show altered patterning, which is likely to be due to vessels failing to initiate effective fusion and anastomosis rather than sprouting or path-seeking. In conclusion, blood flow is essential for cellular survival in both the trunk and cerebral vasculature, but particularly intra-cerebral vessels are affected by the lack of blood flow, suggesting that responses to blood flow differ between these two vascular beds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Kugler
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Medical School, Sheffield, UK
- The Bateson Centre, Firth Court, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
- Insigneo Institute for in silico Medicine, Sheffield, UK
- Institute of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ryan Snodgrass
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Medical School, Sheffield, UK
- The Bateson Centre, Firth Court, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - George Bowley
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Medical School, Sheffield, UK
- The Bateson Centre, Firth Court, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Karen Plant
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Medical School, Sheffield, UK
- The Bateson Centre, Firth Court, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Jovana Serbanovic-Canic
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Medical School, Sheffield, UK
- The Bateson Centre, Firth Court, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Noémie Hamilton
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Medical School, Sheffield, UK
- The Bateson Centre, Firth Court, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Paul C Evans
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Medical School, Sheffield, UK
- The Bateson Centre, Firth Court, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
- Insigneo Institute for in silico Medicine, Sheffield, UK
| | - Timothy Chico
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Medical School, Sheffield, UK
- The Bateson Centre, Firth Court, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Paul Armitage
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Medical School, Sheffield, UK
- Insigneo Institute for in silico Medicine, Sheffield, UK
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8
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Wang Z, Mizoguchi T, Kuribara T, Nakajima M, Iwata M, Sakamoto Y, Nakamura H, Murayama T, Nemoto T, Itoh M. Py 3-FITC: a new fluorescent probe for live cell imaging of collagen-rich tissues and ionocytes. Open Biol 2021; 11:200241. [PMID: 33561382 PMCID: PMC8061698 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Polypyrrole-based polyamides are used as sequence-specific DNA probes. However, their cellular uptake and distribution are affected by several factors and have not been extensively studied in vivo. Here, we generated a series of fluorescence-conjugated polypyrrole compounds and examined their cellular distribution using live zebrafish and cultured human cells. Among the evaluated compounds, Py3-FITC was able to visualize collagen-rich tissues, such as the jaw cartilage, opercle and bulbus arteriosus, in early-stage living zebrafish embryos. Then, we stained cultured human cells with Py3-FITC and found that the staining became more intense as the amount of collagen was increased. In addition, Py3-FITC-stained HR cells, which represent a type of ionocyte on the body surface of living zebrafish embryos. Py3-FITC has low toxicity, and collagen-rich tissues and ionocytes can be visualized when soaked in Py3-FITC solution. Therefore, Py3-FITC may be a useful live imaging tool for detecting changes in collagen-rich tissue and ionocytes, including their mammalian analogues, during both normal development and disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaotong Wang
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Japan
| | | | | | - Masaya Nakajima
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Japan
| | - Mayuu Iwata
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Japan
| | - Yuka Sakamoto
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Japan
| | | | | | - Tetsuhiro Nemoto
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Japan
| | - Motoyuki Itoh
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Japan
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9
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Kemmler CL, Riemslagh FW, Moran HR, Mosimann C. From Stripes to a Beating Heart: Early Cardiac Development in Zebrafish. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2021; 8:17. [PMID: 33578943 PMCID: PMC7916704 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd8020017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The heart is the first functional organ to form during vertebrate development. Congenital heart defects are the most common type of human birth defect, many originating as anomalies in early heart development. The zebrafish model provides an accessible vertebrate system to study early heart morphogenesis and to gain new insights into the mechanisms of congenital disease. Although composed of only two chambers compared with the four-chambered mammalian heart, the zebrafish heart integrates the core processes and cellular lineages central to cardiac development across vertebrates. The rapid, translucent development of zebrafish is amenable to in vivo imaging and genetic lineage tracing techniques, providing versatile tools to study heart field migration and myocardial progenitor addition and differentiation. Combining transgenic reporters with rapid genome engineering via CRISPR-Cas9 allows for functional testing of candidate genes associated with congenital heart defects and the discovery of molecular causes leading to observed phenotypes. Here, we summarize key insights gained through zebrafish studies into the early patterning of uncommitted lateral plate mesoderm into cardiac progenitors and their regulation. We review the central genetic mechanisms, available tools, and approaches for modeling congenital heart anomalies in the zebrafish as a representative vertebrate model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Christian Mosimann
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (C.L.K.); (F.W.R.); (H.R.M.)
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10
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Michel JB. Phylogenic Determinants of Cardiovascular Frailty, Focus on Hemodynamics and Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells. Physiol Rev 2020; 100:1779-1837. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00022.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolution of the circulatory system from invertebrates to mammals has involved the passage from an open system to a closed in-parallel system via a closed in-series system, accompanying the increasing complexity and efficiency of life’s biological functions. The archaic heart enables pulsatile motion waves of hemolymph in invertebrates, and the in-series circulation in fish occurs with only an endothelium, whereas mural smooth muscle cells appear later. The present review focuses on evolution of the circulatory system. In particular, we address how and why this evolution took place from a closed, flowing, longitudinal conductance at low pressure to a flowing, highly pressurized and bifurcating arterial compartment. However, although arterial pressure was the latest acquired hemodynamic variable, the general teleonomy of the evolution of species is the differentiation of individual organ function, supported by specific fueling allowing and favoring partial metabolic autonomy. This was achieved via the establishment of an active contractile tone in resistance arteries, which permitted the regulation of blood supply to specific organ activities via its localized function-dependent inhibition (active vasodilation). The global resistance to viscous blood flow is the peripheral increase in frictional forces caused by the tonic change in arterial and arteriolar radius, which backscatter as systemic arterial blood pressure. Consequently, the arterial pressure gradient from circulating blood to the adventitial interstitium generates the unidirectional outward radial advective conductance of plasma solutes across the wall of conductance arteries. This hemodynamic evolution was accompanied by important changes in arterial wall structure, supported by smooth muscle cell functional plasticity, including contractility, matrix synthesis and proliferation, endocytosis and phagocytosis, etc. These adaptive phenotypic shifts are due to epigenetic regulation, mainly related to mechanotransduction. These paradigms actively participate in cardio-arterial pathologies such as atheroma, valve disease, heart failure, aneurysms, hypertension, and physiological aging.
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11
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Boezio GL, Bensimon-Brito A, Piesker J, Guenther S, Helker CS, Stainier DY. Endothelial TGF-β signaling instructs smooth muscle cell development in the cardiac outflow tract. eLife 2020; 9:57603. [PMID: 32990594 PMCID: PMC7524555 DOI: 10.7554/elife.57603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of the cardiac outflow tract (OFT), which connects the heart to the great arteries, relies on a complex crosstalk between endothelial (ECs) and smooth muscle (SMCs) cells. Defects in OFT development can lead to severe malformations, including aortic aneurysms, which are frequently associated with impaired TGF-β signaling. To better understand the role of TGF-β signaling in OFT formation, we generated zebrafish lacking the TGF-β receptor Alk5 and found a strikingly specific dilation of the OFT: alk5-/- OFTs exhibit increased EC numbers as well as extracellular matrix (ECM) and SMC disorganization. Surprisingly, endothelial-specific alk5 overexpression in alk5-/- rescues the EC, ECM, and SMC defects. Transcriptomic analyses reveal downregulation of the ECM gene fibulin-5, which when overexpressed in ECs ameliorates OFT morphology and function. These findings reveal a new requirement for endothelial TGF-β signaling in OFT morphogenesis and suggest an important role for the endothelium in the etiology of aortic malformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Lm Boezio
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Anabela Bensimon-Brito
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Janett Piesker
- Scientific Service Group Microscopy, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Stefan Guenther
- Bioinformatics and Deep Sequencing Platform, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Christian Sm Helker
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Didier Yr Stainier
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
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12
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Duchemin AL, Vignes H, Vermot J. Mechanically activated piezo channels modulate outflow tract valve development through the Yap1 and Klf2-Notch signaling axis. eLife 2019; 8:44706. [PMID: 31524599 PMCID: PMC6779468 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanical forces are well known for modulating heart valve developmental programs. Yet, it is still unclear how genetic programs and mechanosensation interact during heart valve development. Here, we assessed the mechanosensitive pathways involved during zebrafish outflow tract (OFT) valve development in vivo. Our results show that the hippo effector Yap1, Klf2, and the Notch signaling pathway are all essential for OFT valve morphogenesis in response to mechanical forces, albeit active in different cell layers. Furthermore, we show that Piezo and TRP mechanosensitive channels are important factors modulating these pathways. In addition, live reporters reveal that Piezo controls Klf2 and Notch activity in the endothelium and Yap1 localization in the smooth muscle progenitors to coordinate OFT valve morphogenesis. Together, this work identifies a unique morphogenetic program during OFT valve formation and places Piezo as a central modulator of the cell response to forces in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Laure Duchemin
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Illkirch, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Hélène Vignes
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Illkirch, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Julien Vermot
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Illkirch, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
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13
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Gaur H, Bhargava A. Glyphosate induces toxicity and modulates calcium and NO signaling in zebrafish embryos. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 513:1070-1075. [PMID: 31010672 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.04.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Glyphosate, an herbicide used worldwide, has emerged as a pollutant. However, its toxic effects are debated by regulatory authorities. Therefore, it is essential to keep the use of such chemicals under continuous observation, and their effects must be re-evaluated. We used zebrafish embryos to evaluate the toxic effects of glyphosate and its mechanisms. We found that glyphosate induced significant toxicity in a time and concentration-dependent manner. We observed an LD50 of 66.04 ± 4.6 μg/mL after 48 h of exposure. Glyphosate significantly reduced the heartbeat in a time and concentration-dependent manner indicating cardiotoxicity. Selective downregulation of Cacana1C (L-type calcium channel) and ryr2a (Ryanodine receptor) genes along with selective upregulation of hspb11 (heat shock protein) gene was observed upon exposure to glyphosate indicating alterations in the calcium signaling. A reduction in the nitric oxide (NO) generation was also observed in the zebrafish embryos upon exposure to glyphosate. Our results indicate that glyphosate induces significant toxicity including cardiotoxicity in zebrafish embryos in a time and concentration-dependent manner. Further, cardiotoxicity may be due to changes in calcium and NO signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Gaur
- Ion Channel Biology Lab, Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH), Kandi, Telangana, 502285, India
| | - Anamika Bhargava
- Ion Channel Biology Lab, Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH), Kandi, Telangana, 502285, India.
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14
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Song YC, Dohn TE, Rydeen AB, Nechiporuk AV, Waxman JS. HDAC1-mediated repression of the retinoic acid-responsive gene ripply3 promotes second heart field development. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008165. [PMID: 31091225 PMCID: PMC6538190 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Coordinated transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms that direct development of the later differentiating second heart field (SHF) progenitors remain largely unknown. Here, we show that a novel zebrafish histone deacetylase 1 (hdac1) mutant allele cardiac really gone (crg) has a deficit of ventricular cardiomyocytes (VCs) and smooth muscle within the outflow tract (OFT) due to both cell and non-cell autonomous loss in SHF progenitor proliferation. Cyp26-deficient embryos, which have increased retinoic acid (RA) levels, have similar defects in SHF-derived OFT development. We found that nkx2.5+ progenitors from Hdac1 and Cyp26-deficient embryos have ectopic expression of ripply3, a transcriptional co-repressor of T-box transcription factors that is normally restricted to the posterior pharyngeal endoderm. Furthermore, the ripply3 expression domain is expanded anteriorly into the posterior nkx2.5+ progenitor domain in crg mutants. Importantly, excess ripply3 is sufficient to repress VC development, while genetic depletion of Ripply3 and Tbx1 in crg mutants can partially restore VC number. We find that the epigenetic signature at RA response elements (RAREs) that can associate with Hdac1 and RA receptors (RARs) becomes indicative of transcriptional activation in crg mutants. Our study highlights that transcriptional repression via the epigenetic regulator Hdac1 facilitates OFT development through directly preventing expression of the RA-responsive gene ripply3 within SHF progenitors. Congenital heart defects are the most common malformations found in newborns, with many of these defects disrupting development of the outflow tract, the structure where blood is expelled from the heart. Despite their frequency, we do not have a grasp of the molecular and genetic mechanisms that underlie most congenital heart defects. Here, we show that zebrafish embryos containing a mutation in a gene called histone deacetylase 1 (hdac1) have smaller hearts with a reduction in the size of the ventricle and outflow tract. Hdac1 proteins limit accessibility to DNA and repress gene expression. We find that loss of Hdac1 in zebrafish embryos leads to increased expression of genes that are also induced by excess retinoic acid, a teratogen that induces similar outflow tract defects. Genetic loss-of-function studies support that ectopic expression of ripply3, a common target of both Hdac1 and retinoic acid signaling that is normally restricted to a subset of posterior pharyngeal cells, contributes to the smaller hearts found in zebrafish hdac1 mutants. Our study establishes a mechanism whereby the coordinated repression of genes downstream of Hdac1 and retinoic acid signaling is necessary for normal vertebrate outflow tract development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuntao Charlie Song
- Division of Molecular Cardiovascular Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America.,Molecular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | - Tracy E Dohn
- Division of Molecular Cardiovascular Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America.,Molecular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | - Ariel B Rydeen
- Division of Molecular Cardiovascular Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America.,Molecular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | - Alex V Nechiporuk
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America
| | - Joshua S Waxman
- Division of Molecular Cardiovascular Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
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15
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Brown AR, Green JM, Moreman J, Gunnarsson LM, Mourabit S, Ball J, Winter MJ, Trznadel M, Correia A, Hacker C, Perry A, Wood ME, Hetheridge MJ, Currie RA, Tyler CR. Cardiovascular Effects and Molecular Mechanisms of Bisphenol A and Its Metabolite MBP in Zebrafish. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:463-474. [PMID: 30520632 PMCID: PMC6333396 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b04281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The plastic monomer bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the highest production volume chemicals in the world and is frequently detected in wildlife and humans, particularly children. BPA has been associated with numerous adverse health outcomes relating to its estrogenic and other hormonal properties, but direct causal links are unclear in humans and animal models. Here we simulated measured (1×) and predicted worst-case (10× ) maximum fetal exposures for BPA, or equivalent concentrations of its metabolite MBP, using fluorescent reporter embryo-larval zebrafish, capable of quantifying Estrogen Response Element (ERE) activation throughout the body. Heart valves were primary sites for ERE activation by BPA and MBP, and transcriptomic analysis of microdissected heart tissues showed that both chemicals targeted several molecular pathways constituting biomarkers for calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), including extra-cellular matrix (ECM) alteration. ECM collagen deficiency and impact on heart valve structural integrity were confirmed by histopathology for high-level MBP exposure, and structural defects (abnormal curvature) of the atrio-ventricular valves corresponded with impaired cardiovascular function (reduced ventricular beat rate and blood flow). Our results are the first to demonstrate plausible mechanistic links between ERE activation in the heart valves by BPA's reactive metabolite MBP and the development of valvular-cardiovascular disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Ross Brown
- Biosciences,
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, U.K.
| | - Jon M. Green
- Biosciences,
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, U.K.
| | - John Moreman
- Biosciences,
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, U.K.
| | - Lina M. Gunnarsson
- Biosciences,
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, U.K.
| | - Sulayman Mourabit
- Biosciences,
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, U.K.
| | - Jonathan Ball
- Biosciences,
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, U.K.
| | - Matthew J. Winter
- Biosciences,
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, U.K.
| | - Maciej Trznadel
- Biosciences,
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, U.K.
| | - Ana Correia
- Biosciences,
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, U.K.
| | - Christian Hacker
- Biosciences,
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, U.K.
| | - Alexis Perry
- Biosciences,
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, U.K.
| | - Mark E. Wood
- Biosciences,
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, U.K.
| | - Malcolm J. Hetheridge
- Biosciences,
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, U.K.
| | - Richard A. Currie
- Jealott’s
Hill International Research Centre, Syngenta, Bracknell, Berkshire RG42
6EY, U.K.
| | - Charles R. Tyler
- Biosciences,
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, U.K.
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16
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Gibb N, Lazic S, Yuan X, Deshwar AR, Leslie M, Wilson MD, Scott IC. Hey2 regulates the size of the cardiac progenitor pool during vertebrate heart development. Development 2018; 145:dev.167510. [PMID: 30355727 DOI: 10.1242/dev.167510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
A key event in heart development is the timely addition of cardiac progenitor cells, defects in which can lead to congenital heart defects. However, how the balance and proportion of progenitor proliferation versus addition to the heart is regulated remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that Hey2 functions to regulate the dynamics of cardiac progenitor addition to the zebrafish heart. We found that the previously noted increase in myocardial cell number found in the absence of Hey2 function was due to a pronounced expansion in the size of the cardiac progenitor pool. Expression analysis and lineage tracing of hey2-expressing cells showed that hey2 is active in cardiac progenitors. Hey2 acted to limit proliferation of cardiac progenitors, prior to heart tube formation. Use of a transplantation approach demonstrated a likely cell-autonomous (in cardiac progenitors) function for Hey2. Taken together, our data suggest a previously unappreciated role for Hey2 in controlling the proliferative capacity of cardiac progenitors, affecting the subsequent contribution of late-differentiating cardiac progenitors to the developing vertebrate heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Gibb
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Savo Lazic
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Xuefei Yuan
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada.,Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Ashish R Deshwar
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Meaghan Leslie
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada.,Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Michael D Wilson
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Ian C Scott
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada .,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.,Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada.,Heart and Stroke Richard Lewar Centres of Excellence in Cardiovascular Research, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H2, Canada
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17
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Lorenzale M, Fernández B, Durán AC, López-Unzu MA, Sans-Coma V. The valves of the cardiac outflow tract of the starry ray, Raja asterias (Chondrichthyes; Rajiformes): Anatomical, histological and evolutionary aspects. Anat Histol Embryol 2018; 48:40-45. [PMID: 30378144 DOI: 10.1111/ahe.12409] [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: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/29/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The cardiac outflow tract of chondrichthyans is composed of the myocardial conus arteriosus, equipped with valves at its luminal side, and the bulbus arteriosus devoid of myocardium. Knowledge of the histomorphology of the conal valves is scarce despite their importance in preventing blood backflow to the heart. Current information on the subject refers to a single shark species. The present report is the first to describe the structure of the conal valves of a batoid species, namely, Raja asterias. Hearts from seven starry rays were examined using scanning electron microscopy and histochemical techniques for light microscopy. In all hearts, the conus showed four transverse rows of three pocket-like valves each. Each valve was composed of a leaflet and its supporting sinus. The leaflet had a stout central body, rich in glycosaminoglycans, which contained fibroblasts, collagen and elastin. The central body was surrounded by two thin fibrous layers, outer and inner, formed mainly by collagen. The valves of the anterior row, which were the largest of the valvular system, were attached proximally to the conus arteriosus and distally to the bulbus arteriosus, and not to the ventral aorta as previously reported for chondrichthyans. The arrangement of the anterior valves in the starry ray is an anatomical pattern that apparently has been preserved throughout the evolution of vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Lorenzale
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Borja Fernández
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain.,Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA), University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain.,CIBERCV Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Málaga, Spain
| | - Ana Carmen Durán
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain.,Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA), University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Miguel A López-Unzu
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain.,Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA), University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Valentín Sans-Coma
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain.,Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA), University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
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18
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Farr GH, Imani K, Pouv D, Maves L. Functional testing of a human PBX3 variant in zebrafish reveals a potential modifier role in congenital heart defects. Dis Model Mech 2018; 11:dmm035972. [PMID: 30355621 PMCID: PMC6215422 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.035972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Whole-genome and exome sequencing efforts are increasingly identifying candidate genetic variants associated with human disease. However, predicting and testing the pathogenicity of a genetic variant remains challenging. Genome editing allows for the rigorous functional testing of human genetic variants in animal models. Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are a prominent example of a human disorder with complex genetics. An inherited sequence variant in the human PBX3 gene (PBX3 p.A136V) has previously been shown to be enriched in a CHD patient cohort, indicating that the PBX3 p.A136V variant could be a modifier allele for CHDs. Pbx genes encode three-amino-acid loop extension (TALE)-class homeodomain-containing DNA-binding proteins with diverse roles in development and disease, and are required for heart development in mouse and zebrafish. Here, we used CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to directly test whether this Pbx gene variant acts as a genetic modifier in zebrafish heart development. We used a single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotide to precisely introduce the human PBX3 p.A136V variant in the homologous zebrafish pbx4 gene (pbx4 p.A131V). We observed that zebrafish that are homozygous for pbx4 p.A131V are viable as adults. However, the pbx4 p.A131V variant enhances the embryonic cardiac morphogenesis phenotype caused by loss of the known cardiac specification factor, Hand2. Our study is the first example of using precision genome editing in zebrafish to demonstrate a function for a human disease-associated single nucleotide variant of unknown significance. Our work underscores the importance of testing the roles of inherited variants, not just de novo variants, as genetic modifiers of CHDs. Our study provides a novel approach toward advancing our understanding of the complex genetics of CHDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gist H Farr
- Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Kimia Imani
- Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Darren Pouv
- Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Lisa Maves
- Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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19
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Using Zebrafish for Investigating the Molecular Mechanisms of Drug-Induced Cardiotoxicity. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 2018:1642684. [PMID: 30363733 PMCID: PMC6180974 DOI: 10.1155/2018/1642684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Over the last decade, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) has emerged as a model organism for cardiovascular research. Zebrafish have several advantages over mammalian models. For instance, the experimental cost of using zebrafish is comparatively low; the embryos are transparent, develop externally, and have high fecundity making them suitable for large-scale genetic screening. More recently, zebrafish embryos have been used for the screening of a variety of toxic agents, particularly for cardiotoxicity testing. Zebrafish has been shown to exhibit physiological responses that are similar to mammals after exposure to medicinal drugs including xenobiotics, hormones, cancer drugs, and also environmental pollutants, including pesticides and heavy metals. In this review, we provided a summary for recent studies that have used zebrafish to investigate the molecular mechanisms of drug-induced cardiotoxicity. More specifically, we focused on the techniques that were exploited by us and others for cardiovascular toxicity assessment and described several microscopic imaging and analysis protocols that are being used for the estimation of a variety of cardiac hemodynamic parameters.
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20
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Continuous addition of progenitors forms the cardiac ventricle in zebrafish. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2001. [PMID: 29784942 PMCID: PMC5962599 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04402-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate heart develops from several progenitor lineages. After early-differentiating first heart field (FHF) progenitors form the linear heart tube, late-differentiating second heart field (SHF) progenitors extend the atrium and ventricle, and form inflow and outflow tracts (IFT/OFT). However, the position and migration of late-differentiating progenitors during heart formation remains unclear. Here, we track zebrafish heart development using transgenics based on the cardiopharyngeal gene tbx1. Live imaging uncovers a tbx1 reporter-expressing cell sheath that continuously disseminates from the lateral plate mesoderm towards the forming heart tube. High-speed imaging and optogenetic lineage tracing corroborates that the zebrafish ventricle forms through continuous addition from the undifferentiated progenitor sheath followed by late-phase accrual of the bulbus arteriosus (BA). FGF inhibition during sheath migration reduces ventricle size and abolishes BA formation, refining the window of FGF action during OFT formation. Our findings consolidate previous end-point analyses and establish zebrafish ventricle formation as a continuous process. Late-differentiating second heart field progenitors contribute to atrium, ventricle, and outflow tract in the zebrafish heart but how remains unclear. Here, the authors image heart formation in transgenics based on the cardiopharyngeal gene tbx1 and show that progenitors are continuously added.
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21
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Dumitrescu E, Wallace KN, Andreescu S. Real time electrochemical investigation of the release, distribution and modulation of nitric oxide in the intestine of individual zebrafish embryos. Nitric Oxide 2018; 74:32-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.niox.2018.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Revised: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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22
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Lorenzale M, López-Unzu MA, Rodríguez C, Fernández B, Durán AC, Sans-Coma V. The anatomical components of the cardiac outflow tract of chondrichthyans and actinopterygians. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 93:1604-1619. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Revised: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Lorenzale
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos s/n; 29071 Málaga Spain
| | - Miguel A. López-Unzu
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos s/n; 29071 Málaga Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA); Universidad de Málaga; 29071 Málaga Spain
| | - Cristina Rodríguez
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos s/n; 29071 Málaga Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA); Universidad de Málaga; 29071 Málaga Spain
| | - Borja Fernández
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos s/n; 29071 Málaga Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA); Universidad de Málaga; 29071 Málaga Spain
| | - Ana C. Durán
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos s/n; 29071 Málaga Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA); Universidad de Málaga; 29071 Málaga Spain
| | - Valentín Sans-Coma
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos s/n; 29071 Málaga Spain
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23
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Raghunath A, Perumal E. Analysis of Lethality and Malformations During Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Development. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1797:337-363. [PMID: 29896702 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7883-0_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The versatility offered by zebrafish (Danio rerio) makes it a powerful and an attractive vertebrate model in developmental toxicity and teratogenicity assays. Apart from the newly introduced chemicals as drugs, xenobiotics also induce abnormal developmental abnormalities and congenital malformations in living organisms. Over the recent decades, zebrafish embryo/larva has emerged as a potential tool to test teratogenicity potential of these chemicals. Zebrafish responds to compounds as mammals do as they share similarities in their development, metabolism, physiology, and signaling pathways with that of mammals. The methodology used by the different scientists varies enormously in the zebrafish embryotoxicity test. In this chapter, we present methods to assess lethality and malformations during zebrafish development. We propose two major malformations scoring systems: binomial and relative morphological scoring systems to assess the malformations in zebrafish embryos/larvae. Based on the scoring of the malformations, the test compound can be classified as a teratogen or a nonteratogen and its teratogenic potential is evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azhwar Raghunath
- Molecular Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India
| | - Ekambaram Perumal
- Molecular Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India.
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24
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Paffett-Lugassy N, Novikov N, Jeffrey S, Abrial M, Guner-Ataman B, Sakthivel S, Burns CE, Burns CG. Unique developmental trajectories and genetic regulation of ventricular and outflow tract progenitors in the zebrafish second heart field. Development 2017; 144:4616-4624. [PMID: 29061637 DOI: 10.1242/dev.153411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
During mammalian embryogenesis, cardiac progenitor cells constituting the second heart field (SHF) give rise to the right ventricle and primitive outflow tract (OFT). In zebrafish, previous lineage-tracing and mutant analyses suggested that SHF ventricular and OFT progenitors co-migrate to the arterial pole of the zebrafish heart tube soon after their specification in the nkx2.5+ field of anterior lateral plate mesoderm (ALPM). Using additional prospective lineage tracing, we demonstrate that while SHF ventricular progenitors migrate directly to the arterial pole, OFT progenitors become temporarily sequestered in the mesodermal cores of pharyngeal arch 2 (PA2), where they downregulate nkx2.5 expression. While there, they intermingle with precursors for PA2-derived head muscles (HMs) and hypobranchial artery endothelium, which we demonstrate are co-specified with SHF progenitors in the nkx2.5+ ALPM. Soon after their sequestration in PA2, OFT progenitors migrate to the arterial pole of the heart and differentiate into OFT lineages. Lastly, we demonstrate that SHF ventricular and OFT progenitors exhibit unique sensitivities to a mutation in fgf8a Our data highlight novel aspects of SHF, OFT and HM development in zebrafish that will inform mechanistic interpretations of cardiopharyngeal phenotypes in zebrafish models of human congenital disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelle Paffett-Lugassy
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Natasha Novikov
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Spencer Jeffrey
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Maryline Abrial
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Burcu Guner-Ataman
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Srinivasan Sakthivel
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen DK-2200N, Denmark
| | - Caroline E Burns
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA .,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - C Geoffrey Burns
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA .,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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25
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Semple SL, Vo NTK, Li AR, Pham PH, Bols NC, Dixon B. Development and use of an Arctic charr cell line to study antiviral responses at extremely low temperatures. JOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES 2017; 40:1423-1439. [PMID: 28261806 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.12615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Revised: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) are the northernmost distributed freshwater fish and can grow at water temperatures as low as 0.2 °C. Other teleost species have impaired immune function at temperatures that Arctic charr thrive in, and thus, charr may maintain immune function at these temperatures. In this study, a fibroblastic cell line, named ACBA, derived from the bulbus arteriosus (BA) of Arctic charr was developed for use in immune studies at various temperatures. ACBA has undergone more than forty passages at 18 °C over 3 years, while showing no signs of senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity and producing nitric oxide. Remarkably, ACBA cells survived and maintained some mitotic activity even at 1 °C for over 3 months. At these low temperatures, ACBA also continued to produce MH class I proteins. After challenge with poly I:C, only antiviral Mx proteins were induced while MH proteins remained constant. When exposed to live viruses, ACBA was shown to permit viral infection and replication of IPNV, VHSV IVa and CSV at 14 °C. Yet at the preferred temperature of 4 °C, only VHSV IVa was shown to replicate within ACBA. This study provides evidence that Arctic charr cells can maintain immune function while also resisting infection with intracellular pathogens at low temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- S L Semple
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - N T K Vo
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - A R Li
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - P H Pham
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - N C Bols
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - B Dixon
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
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26
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The bulbus arteriosus of the holocephalan heart: gross anatomy, histomorphology, pigmentation, and evolutionary significance. ZOOLOGY 2017; 123:37-45. [PMID: 28760682 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2017.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Revised: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
This study was designed to determine whether the outflow tract of the holocephalan heart is composed of a myocardial conus arteriosus and a non-myocardial bulbus arteriosus, as is the case in elasmobranchs. This is a key issue to verify the hypothesis that these two anatomical components existed from the onset of the jawed vertebrate radiation. The Holocephali are the sister group of the elasmobranchs, sharing with them a common, still unknown Palaeozoic ancestor. The sample examined herein consisted of hearts from individuals of four species, two of them belonging to the Chimaeridae and the other two to the Rhinochimaeridae. In all specimens, the cardiac outflow tract consisted of a conus arteriosus, with myocardium in its walls and two rows of valves at its luminal side, and an intrapericardial bulbus arteriosus shorter than the conus and devoid of valves. The bulbus, mainly composed of elastin and smooth musculature, was covered by the epicardium and crossed longitudinally by coronary artery trunks. These findings give added support to the viewpoint that the outflow tract of the primitive heart of the gnathostomes was not composed of a single component, but two, the conus and the bulbus. All rabbitfish (Chimaera monstrosa) examined had pigment cells over the surface of the heart. The degree of pigmentation, which varied widely between individuals, was particularly intense in the cardiac outflow tract. Pigment cells also occurred in the bulbus arteriosus of one of the two hearts of the straightnose rabbitfish (Rhinochimaera atlantica) included in the study. The cells containing pigment, presumably derived from the neural crest, were located in the subepicardium.
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27
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Arora D, Bhatla SC. Melatonin and nitric oxide regulate sunflower seedling growth under salt stress accompanying differential expression of Cu/Zn SOD and Mn SOD. Free Radic Biol Med 2017; 106:315-328. [PMID: 28254544 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2017.02.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2016] [Revised: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Salinity results in significant reduction in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seedling growth and excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Present work highlights the possible role of melatonin as an antioxidant through its interaction with nitric oxide (NO), and as an early and long distance NaCl-stress sensing signaling molecule in seedling cotyledons. Exogenous melatonin (15µM)±NaCl (120mM) inhibit seedling growth, which is also correlated with NO availability, accumulation of potential superoxide anion (O2•-) and peroxynitrite anion (ONOO-), extent of tyrosine-nitration of proteins, spatial localization and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) isoforms. NO acts as a positive modulator of melatonin accumulation in seedling cotyledons as a long-distance signaling response. Modulation of superoxide anion and peroxynitrite anion content by melatonin highlights its crucial role in combating deleterious effects of ROS and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Present findings provide evidence for an interaction between melatonin and NO in their effect on seedling growth under salt stress accompanying differential modulation of two SOD isoforms, i.e. Cu/Zn SOD and Mn SOD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhara Arora
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Botany, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India.
| | - Satish C Bhatla
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Botany, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India.
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28
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Oehlers SH, Flores MV, Hall CJ, Wang L, Ko DC, Crosier KE, Crosier PS. A whole animal chemical screen approach to identify modifiers of intestinal neutrophilic inflammation. FEBS J 2017; 284:402-413. [PMID: 27885812 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
By performing two high-content small molecule screens on dextran sodium sulfate- and trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced zebrafish enterocolitis models of inflammatory bowel disease, we have identified novel anti-inflammatory drugs from the John Hopkins Clinical Compound Library that suppress neutrophilic inflammation. Live imaging of neutrophil distribution was used to assess the level of acute inflammation and concurrently screen for off-target drug effects. Supporting the validity of our screening strategy, most of the anti-inflammatory drug hits were known antibiotics or anti-inflammatory agents. Novel hits included cholecystokinin (CCK) and dopamine receptor agonists. Using a pharmacological approach, we show that while CCK and dopamine receptor agonists alleviate enterocolitis-associated inflammation, receptor antagonists exacerbate inflammation in zebrafish. This work highlights the utility of small molecule screening in zebrafish enterocolitis models as a tool to identify novel bioactive molecules capable of modulating acute inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan H Oehlers
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand.,Tuberculosis Research Program, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Newtown, NSW, Australia
| | - Maria Vega Flores
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Christopher J Hall
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Liuyang Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Dennis C Ko
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.,Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kathryn E Crosier
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Philip S Crosier
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand
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29
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Grant MG, Patterson VL, Grimes DT, Burdine RD. Modeling Syndromic Congenital Heart Defects in Zebrafish. Curr Top Dev Biol 2017; 124:1-40. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2016.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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30
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Jahangiri L, Sharpe M, Novikov N, González-Rosa JM, Borikova A, Nevis K, Paffett-Lugassy N, Zhao L, Adams M, Guner-Ataman B, Burns CE, Burns CG. The AP-1 transcription factor component Fosl2 potentiates the rate of myocardial differentiation from the zebrafish second heart field. Development 2016; 143:113-22. [PMID: 26732840 DOI: 10.1242/dev.126136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate heart forms through successive phases of cardiomyocyte differentiation. Initially, cardiomyocytes derived from first heart field (FHF) progenitors assemble the linear heart tube. Thereafter, second heart field (SHF) progenitors differentiate into cardiomyocytes that are accreted to the poles of the heart tube over a well-defined developmental window. Although heart tube elongation deficiencies lead to life-threatening congenital heart defects, the variables controlling the initiation, rate and duration of myocardial accretion remain obscure. Here, we demonstrate that the AP-1 transcription factor, Fos-like antigen 2 (Fosl2), potentiates the rate of myocardial accretion from the zebrafish SHF. fosl2 mutants initiate accretion appropriately, but cardiomyocyte production is sluggish, resulting in a ventricular deficit coupled with an accumulation of SHF progenitors. Surprisingly, mutant embryos eventually correct the myocardial deficit by extending the accretion window. Overexpression of Fosl2 also compromises production of SHF-derived ventricular cardiomyocytes, a phenotype that is consistent with precocious depletion of the progenitor pool. Our data implicate Fosl2 in promoting the progenitor to cardiomyocyte transition and uncover the existence of regulatory mechanisms to ensure appropriate SHF-mediated cardiomyocyte contribution irrespective of embryonic stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Jahangiri
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Michka Sharpe
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Natasha Novikov
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Juan Manuel González-Rosa
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Asya Borikova
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kathleen Nevis
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Noelle Paffett-Lugassy
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Long Zhao
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Meghan Adams
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Burcu Guner-Ataman
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Caroline E Burns
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - C Geoffrey Burns
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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31
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Rodríguez C, Fernández B, Olivero J, Salmerón F, Torres-Prioris A, Sans-Coma V, Durán AC. The relative length of the cardiac bulbus arteriosus reflects phylogenetic relationships among elasmobranchs. ZOOL ANZ 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2016.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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32
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Maldanis L, Carvalho M, Almeida MR, Freitas FI, de Andrade JAFG, Nunes RS, Rochitte CE, Poppi RJ, Freitas RO, Rodrigues F, Siljeström S, Lima FA, Galante D, Carvalho IS, Perez CA, de Carvalho MR, Bettini J, Fernandez V, Xavier-Neto J. Heart fossilization is possible and informs the evolution of cardiac outflow tract in vertebrates. eLife 2016; 5:e14698. [PMID: 27090087 PMCID: PMC4841765 DOI: 10.7554/elife.14698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Elucidating cardiac evolution has been frustrated by lack of fossils. One celebrated enigma in cardiac evolution involves the transition from a cardiac outflow tract dominated by a multi-valved conus arteriosus in basal actinopterygians, to an outflow tract commanded by the non-valved, elastic, bulbus arteriosus in higher actinopterygians. We demonstrate that cardiac preservation is possible in the extinct fish Rhacolepis buccalis from the Brazilian Cretaceous. Using X-ray synchrotron microtomography, we show that Rhacolepis fossils display hearts with a conus arteriosus containing at least five valve rows. This represents a transitional morphology between the primitive, multivalvar, conal condition and the derived, monovalvar, bulbar state of the outflow tract in modern actinopterygians. Our data rescue a long-lost cardiac phenotype (119-113 Ma) and suggest that outflow tract simplification in actinopterygians is compatible with a gradual, rather than a drastic saltation event. Overall, our results demonstrate the feasibility of studying cardiac evolution in fossils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Maldanis
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.,Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Murilo Carvalho
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory, Campinas, Brazil.,Department of Zoology, Biosciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Fábio Rodrigues
- Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sandra Siljeström
- Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Surfaces, SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Borås, Sweden
| | | | | | - Ismar S Carvalho
- Departamento de Geologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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33
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Katz MG, Fargnoli AS, Kendle AP, Hajjar RJ, Bridges CR. The role of microRNAs in cardiac development and regenerative capacity. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2015; 310:H528-41. [PMID: 26702142 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00181.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian heart has long been considered to be a postmitotic organ. It was thought that, in the postnatal period, the heart underwent a transition from hyperplasic growth (more cells) to hypertrophic growth (larger cells) due to the conversion of cardiomyocytes from a proliferative state to one of terminal differentiation. This hypothesis was gradually disproven, as data were published showing that the myocardium is a more dynamic tissue in which cardiomyocyte karyokinesis and cytokinesis produce new cells, leading to the hyperplasic regeneration of some of the muscle mass lost in various pathological processes. microRNAs have been shown to be critical regulators of cardiomyocyte differentiation and proliferation and may offer the novel opportunity of regenerative hyperplasic therapy. Here we summarize the relevant processes and recent progress regarding the functions of specific microRNAs in cardiac development and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Katz
- Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, North Carolina; and Cardiovascular Research Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Anthony S Fargnoli
- Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, North Carolina; and
| | - Andrew P Kendle
- Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, North Carolina; and
| | - Roger J Hajjar
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Charles R Bridges
- Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, North Carolina; and
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34
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Development and characterization of an endothelial cell line from the bulbus arteriosus of walleye, Sander vitreus. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2015; 180:57-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2014.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2014] [Revised: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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35
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The anatomical components of the cardiac outflow tract of the gray bichir, Polypterus senegalus: their evolutionary significance. ZOOLOGY 2014; 117:370-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2014.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Revised: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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36
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Santoro MM. Zebrafish as a model to explore cell metabolism. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2014; 25:546-54. [PMID: 24997878 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2014.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2014] [Revised: 06/04/2014] [Accepted: 06/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cell metabolism plays a key role in many essential biological processes. The recent availability of novel technologies and organisms to model cell metabolism in vivo is expanding current knowledge of cell metabolism. In this context, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) is emerging as a valuable model system to learn about the metabolic routes critical for cellular homeostasis. Here, the most recent methods and studies on cell metabolism are summarized, which support the overall value for the zebrafish model system not only to study metabolism but also metabolic disease states. It is envisioned that this small vertebrate system will help in the understanding of pathogenesis for numerous metabolic-related disorders in humans and in the identification of their therapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo M Santoro
- Laboratory of Endothelial Molecular Biology, Vesalius Research Center, Department of Oncology, University of Leuven, Leuven, B-3000, Belgium; Laboratory of Endothelial Molecular Biology, Vesalius Research Center, VIB, Leuven, B-3000, Belgium.
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37
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Kelly ML, Astsaturov A, Rhodes J, Chernoff J. A Pak1/Erk signaling module acts through Gata6 to regulate cardiovascular development in zebrafish. Dev Cell 2014; 29:350-9. [PMID: 24823378 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2014.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2013] [Revised: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Proper neural crest development and migration is critical during embryonic development, but the molecular mechanisms regulating this process remain incompletely understood. Here, we show that the protein kinase Erk, which plays a central role in a number of key developmental processes in vertebrates, is regulated in the developing neural crest by p21-activated protein kinase 1 (Pak1). Furthermore, we show that activated Erk signals by phosphorylating the transcription factor Gata6 on a conserved serine residue to promote neural crest migration and proper formation of craniofacial structures, pigment cells, and the outflow tract of the heart. Our data suggest an essential role for Pak1 as an Erk activator, and Gata6 as an Erk target, during neural crest development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mollie L Kelly
- Cancer Biology Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
| | - Artyom Astsaturov
- Cancer Biology Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA
| | - Jennifer Rhodes
- Cancer Biology Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA
| | - Jonathan Chernoff
- Cancer Biology Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA.
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38
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Abstract
The epicardium is the mesothelial outer layer of the vertebrate heart. It plays an important role during cardiac development by, among other functions, nourishing the underlying myocardium, contributing to cardiac fibroblasts and giving rise to the coronary vasculature. The epicardium also exerts key functions during injury responses in the adult and contributes to cardiac repair. In this article, we review current knowledge on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying epicardium formation in the zebrafish, a teleost fish, which is rapidly gaining status as an animal model in cardiovascular research, and compare it with the mechanisms described in other vertebrate models. We moreover describe the expression patterns of a subset of available zebrafish Wilms' tumor 1 transgenic reporter lines and discuss their specificity, applicability and limitations in the study of epicardium formation.
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39
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Disruption of G-protein γ5 subtype causes embryonic lethality in mice. PLoS One 2014; 9:e90970. [PMID: 24599258 PMCID: PMC3944967 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2013] [Accepted: 02/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterotrimeric G-proteins modulate many processes essential for embryonic development including cellular proliferation, migration, differentiation, and survival. Although most research has focused on identifying the roles of the various αsubtypes, there is growing recognition that similarly divergent βγ dimers also regulate these processes. In this paper, we show that targeted disruption of the mouse Gng5 gene encoding the γ5 subtype produces embryonic lethality associated with severe head and heart defects. Collectively, these results add to a growing body of data that identify critical roles for the γ subunits in directing the assembly of functionally distinct G-αβγ trimers that are responsible for regulating diverse biological processes. Specifically, the finding that loss of the G-γ5 subtype is associated with a reduced number of cardiac precursor cells not only provides a causal basis for the mouse phenotype but also raises the possibility that G-βγ5 dependent signaling contributes to the pathogenesis of human congenital heart problems.
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40
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Whitesell TR, Kennedy RM, Carter AD, Rollins EL, Georgijevic S, Santoro MM, Childs SJ. An α-smooth muscle actin (acta2/αsma) zebrafish transgenic line marking vascular mural cells and visceral smooth muscle cells. PLoS One 2014; 9:e90590. [PMID: 24594685 PMCID: PMC3940907 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2013] [Accepted: 02/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mural cells of the vascular system include vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and pericytes whose role is to stabilize and/or provide contractility to blood vessels. One of the earliest markers of mural cell development in vertebrates is α smooth muscle actin (acta2; αsma), which is expressed by pericytes and SMCs. In vivo models of vascular mural cell development in zebrafish are currently lacking, therefore we developed two transgenic zebrafish lines driving expression of GFP or mCherry in acta2-expressing cells. These transgenic fish were used to trace the live development of mural cells in embryonic and larval transgenic zebrafish. acta2:EGFP transgenic animals show expression that largely mirrors native acta2 expression, with early pan-muscle expression starting at 24 hpf in the heart muscle, followed by skeletal and visceral muscle. At 3.5 dpf, expression in the bulbus arteriosus and ventral aorta marks the first expression in vascular smooth muscle. Over the next 10 days of development, the number of acta2:EGFP positive cells and the number of types of blood vessels associated with mural cells increases. Interestingly, the mural cells are not motile and remain in the same position once they express the acta2:EGFP transgene. Taken together, our data suggests that zebrafish mural cells develop relatively late, and have little mobility once they associate with vessels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R. Whitesell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Smooth Muscle Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Regan M. Kennedy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Smooth Muscle Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Alyson D. Carter
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Smooth Muscle Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Evvi-Lynn Rollins
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Smooth Muscle Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sonja Georgijevic
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Smooth Muscle Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Massimo M. Santoro
- VIB Vesalius Research Center, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sarah J. Childs
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Smooth Muscle Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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41
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Poon KL, Brand T. The zebrafish model system in cardiovascular research: A tiny fish with mighty prospects. Glob Cardiol Sci Pract 2013; 2013:9-28. [PMID: 24688998 PMCID: PMC3963735 DOI: 10.5339/gcsp.2013.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2012] [Accepted: 01/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kar Lai Poon
- Harefield Heart Science Centre, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Hill End Road, Harefield, Middlesex, UB9 6JH, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Brand
- Harefield Heart Science Centre, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Hill End Road, Harefield, Middlesex, UB9 6JH, United Kingdom
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42
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Jensen B, van den Berg G, van den Doel R, Oostra RJ, Wang T, Moorman AFM. Development of the hearts of lizards and snakes and perspectives to cardiac evolution. PLoS One 2013; 8:e63651. [PMID: 23755108 PMCID: PMC3673951 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2013] [Accepted: 04/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds and mammals both developed high performance hearts from a heart that must have been reptile-like and the hearts of extant reptiles have an unmatched variability in design. Yet, studies on cardiac development in reptiles are largely old and further studies are much needed as reptiles are starting to become used in molecular studies. We studied the growth of cardiac compartments and changes in morphology principally in the model organism corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus), but also in the genotyped anole (Anolis carolinenis and A. sagrei) and the Philippine sailfin lizard (Hydrosaurus pustulatus). Structures and chambers of the formed heart were traced back in development and annotated in interactive 3D pdfs. In the corn snake, we found that the ventricle and atria grow exponentially, whereas the myocardial volumes of the atrioventricular canal and the muscular outflow tract are stable. Ventricular development occurs, as in other amniotes, by an early growth at the outer curvature and later, and in parallel, by incorporation of the muscular outflow tract. With the exception of the late completion of the atrial septum, the adult design of the squamate heart is essentially reached halfway through development. This design strongly resembles the developing hearts of human, mouse and chicken around the time of initial ventricular septation. Subsequent to this stage, and in contrast to the squamates, hearts of endothermic vertebrates completely septate their ventricles, develop an insulating atrioventricular plane, shift and expand their atrioventricular canal toward the right and incorporate the systemic and pulmonary venous myocardium into the atria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bjarke Jensen
- Department of Bioscience-Zoophysiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
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Guner-Ataman B, Paffett-Lugassy N, Adams MS, Nevis KR, Jahangiri L, Obregon P, Kikuchi K, Poss KD, Burns CE, Burns CG. Zebrafish second heart field development relies on progenitor specification in anterior lateral plate mesoderm and nkx2.5 function. Development 2013; 140:1353-63. [PMID: 23444361 DOI: 10.1242/dev.088351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Second heart field (SHF) progenitors perform essential functions during mammalian cardiogenesis. We recently identified a population of cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) in zebrafish expressing latent TGFβ-binding protein 3 (ltbp3) that exhibits several defining characteristics of the anterior SHF in mammals. However, ltbp3 transcripts are conspicuously absent in anterior lateral plate mesoderm (ALPM), where SHF progenitors are specified in higher vertebrates. Instead, ltbp3 expression initiates at the arterial pole of the developing heart tube. Because the mechanisms of cardiac development are conserved evolutionarily, we hypothesized that zebrafish SHF specification also occurs in the ALPM. To test this hypothesis, we Cre/loxP lineage traced gata4(+) and nkx2.5(+) ALPM populations predicted to contain SHF progenitors, based on evolutionary conservation of ALPM patterning. Traced cells were identified in SHF-derived distal ventricular myocardium and in three lineages in the outflow tract (OFT). We confirmed the extent of contributions made by ALPM nkx2.5(+) cells using Kaede photoconversion. Taken together, these data demonstrate that, as in higher vertebrates, zebrafish SHF progenitors are specified within the ALPM and express nkx2.5. Furthermore, we tested the hypothesis that Nkx2.5 plays a conserved and essential role during zebrafish SHF development. Embryos injected with an nkx2.5 morpholino exhibited SHF phenotypes caused by compromised progenitor cell proliferation. Co-injecting low doses of nkx2.5 and ltbp3 morpholinos revealed a genetic interaction between these factors. Taken together, our data highlight two conserved features of zebrafish SHF development, reveal a novel genetic relationship between nkx2.5 and ltbp3, and underscore the utility of this model organism for deciphering SHF biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burcu Guner-Ataman
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
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Rodríguez C, Sans-Coma V, Grimes AC, Fernández B, Arqué JM, Durán AC. Embryonic development of the bulbus arteriosus of the primitive heart of jawed vertebrates. ZOOL ANZ 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2012.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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45
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Choudhry P, Trede NS. DiGeorge syndrome gene tbx1 functions through wnt11r to regulate heart looping and differentiation. PLoS One 2013; 8:e58145. [PMID: 23533583 PMCID: PMC3606275 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2012] [Accepted: 01/31/2013] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
DiGeorge syndrome (DGS) is the most common microdeletion syndrome, and is characterized by congenital cardiac, craniofacial and immune system abnormalities. The cardiac defects in DGS patients include conotruncal and ventricular septal defects. Although the etiology of DGS is critically regulated by TBX1 gene, the molecular pathways underpinning TBX1's role in heart development are not fully understood. In this study, we characterized heart defects and downstream signaling in the zebrafish tbx1−/− mutant, which has craniofacial and immune defects similar to DGS patients. We show that tbx1−/− mutants have defective heart looping, morphology and function. Defective heart looping is accompanied by failure of cardiomyocytes to differentiate normally and failure to change shape from isotropic to anisotropic morphology in the outer curvatures of the heart. This is the first demonstration of tbx1's role in regulating heart looping, cardiomyocyte shape and differentiation, and may explain how Tbx1 regulates conotruncal development in humans. Next we elucidated tbx1's molecular signaling pathway guided by the cardiac phenotype of tbx1−/− mutants. We show for the first time that wnt11r (wnt11 related), a member of the non-canonical Wnt pathway, and its downstream effector gene alcama (activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule a) regulate heart looping and differentiation similarly to tbx1. Expression of both wnt11r and alcama are downregulated in tbx1−/− mutants. In addition, both wnt11r−/− mutants and alcama morphants have heart looping and differentiation defects similar to tbx1−/− mutants. Strikingly, heart looping and differentiation in tbx1−/− mutants can be partially rescued by ectopic expression of wnt11r or alcama, supporting a model whereby heart looping and differentiation are regulated by tbx1 in a linear pathway through wnt11r and alcama. This is the first study linking tbx1 and non-canonical Wnt signaling and extends our understanding of DGS and heart development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Choudhry
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PC) (PC); (NT) (NT)
| | - Nikolaus S. Trede
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PC) (PC); (NT) (NT)
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Nevis K, Obregon P, Walsh C, Guner-Ataman B, Burns CG, Burns CE. Tbx1 is required for second heart field proliferation in zebrafish. Dev Dyn 2013; 242:550-9. [PMID: 23335360 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.23928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2012] [Revised: 01/03/2013] [Accepted: 01/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mammalian outflow tract (OFT) and primitive right ventricle arise by accretion of newly differentiated cells to the arterial pole of the heart tube from multi-potent progenitor cells of the second heart field (SHF). While mounting evidence suggests that the genetic pathways regulating SHF development are highly conserved in zebrafish, this topic remains an active area of investigation. RESULTS Here, we extend previous observations demonstrating that zebrafish tbx1 (van gogh, vgo) mutants show ventricular and OFT defects consistent with a conserved role in SHF-mediated cardiogenesis. Surprisingly, we reveal through double in situ analyses that tbx1 transcripts are excluded from cardiac progenitor cells and differentiated cardiomyocytes, suggesting a non-autonomous role in SHF development. Further, we find that the diminutive ventricle in vgo animals results from a 25% decrease in cardiomyocyte number that occurs subsequent to heart tube stages. Lastly, we report that although SHF progenitors are specified in the absence of Tbx1, they fail to be maintained due to compromised SHF progenitor cell proliferation. CONCLUSIONS These studies highlight conservation of Tbx1 function in zebrafish SHF biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Nevis
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
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Oehlers SH, Flores MV, Hall CJ, Okuda KS, Sison JO, Crosier KE, Crosier PS. Chemically induced intestinal damage models in zebrafish larvae. Zebrafish 2013; 10:184-93. [PMID: 23448252 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2012.0824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Several intestinal damage models have been developed using zebrafish, with the aim of recapitulating aspects of human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). These experimentally induced inflammation models have utilized immersion exposure to an array of colitogenic agents (including live bacteria, bacterial products, and chemicals) to induce varying severity of inflammation. This technical report describes methods used to generate two chemically induced intestinal damage models using either dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) or trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). Methods to monitor intestinal damage and inflammatory processes, and chemical-genetic methods to manipulate the host response to injury are also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan H Oehlers
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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48
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Opitz R, Maquet E, Huisken J, Antonica F, Trubiroha A, Pottier G, Janssens V, Costagliola S. Transgenic zebrafish illuminate the dynamics of thyroid morphogenesis and its relationship to cardiovascular development. Dev Biol 2012; 372:203-16. [PMID: 23022354 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2011] [Revised: 07/22/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Among the various organs derived from foregut endoderm, the thyroid gland is unique in that major morphogenic events such as budding from foregut endoderm, descent into subpharyngeal mesenchyme and growth expansion occur in close proximity to cardiovascular tissues. To date, research on thyroid organogenesis was missing one vital tool-a transgenic model that allows to track the dynamic changes in thyroid size, shape and location relative to adjacent cardiovascular tissues in live embryos. In this study, we generated a novel transgenic zebrafish line, tg(tg:mCherry), in which robust and thyroid-specific expression of a membrane version of mCherry enables live imaging of thyroid development in embryos from budding stage throughout formation of functional thyroid follicles. By using various double transgenic models in which EGFP expression additionally labels cardiovascular structures, a high coordination was revealed between thyroid organogenesis and cardiovascular development. Early thyroid development was found to proceed in intimate contact with the distal ventricular myocardium and live imaging confirmed that thyroid budding from the pharyngeal floor is tightly coordinated with the descent of the heart. Four-dimensional imaging of live embryos by selective plane illumination microscopy and 3D-reconstruction of confocal images of stained embryos yielded novel insights into the role of specific pharyngeal vessels, such as the hypobranchial artery (HA), in guiding late thyroid expansion along the pharyngeal midline. An important role of the HA was corroborated by the detailed examination of thyroid development in various zebrafish models showing defective cardiovascular development. In combination, our results from live imaging as well es from 3D-reconstruction of thyroid development in tg(tg:mCherry) embryos provided a first dynamic view of late thyroid organogenesis in zebrafish-a critical resource for the design of future studies addressing the molecular mechanisms of these thyroid-vasculature interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Opitz
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research in Molecular Human Biology (IRIBHM), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
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Zebrafish Mef2ca and Mef2cb are essential for both first and second heart field cardiomyocyte differentiation. Dev Biol 2012; 369:199-210. [PMID: 22750409 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2011] [Revised: 06/07/2012] [Accepted: 06/20/2012] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Mef2 transcription factors have been strongly linked with early heart development. D-mef2 is required for heart formation in Drosophila, but whether Mef2 is essential for vertebrate cardiomyocyte (CM) differentiation is unclear. In mice, although Mef2c is expressed in all CMs, targeted deletion of Mef2c causes lethal loss of second heart field (SHF) derivatives and failure of cardiac looping, but first heart field CMs can differentiate. Here we examine Mef2 function in early heart development in zebrafish. Two Mef2c genes exist in zebrafish, mef2ca and mef2cb. Both are expressed similarly in the bilateral heart fields but mef2cb is strongly expressed in the heart poles at the primitive heart tube stage. By using fish mutants for mef2ca and mef2cb and antisense morpholinos to knock down either or both Mef2cs, we show that Mef2ca and Mef2cb have essential but redundant roles in myocardial differentiation. Loss of both Mef2ca and Mef2cb function does not interfere with early cardiogenic markers such as nkx2.5, gata4 and hand2 but results in a dramatic loss of expression of sarcomeric genes and myocardial markers such as bmp4, nppa, smyd1b and late nkx2.5 mRNA. Rare residual CMs observed in mef2ca;mef2cb double mutants are ablated by a morpholino capable of knocking down other Mef2s. Mef2cb over-expression activates bmp4 within the cardiogenic region, but no ectopic CMs are formed. Surprisingly, anterior mesoderm and other tissues become skeletal muscle. Mef2ca single mutants have delayed heart development, but form an apparently normal heart. Mef2cb single mutants have a functional heart and are viable adults. Our results show that the key role of Mef2c in myocardial differentiation is conserved throughout the vertebrate heart.
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50
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Tu S, Chi NC. Zebrafish models in cardiac development and congenital heart birth defects. Differentiation 2012; 84:4-16. [PMID: 22704690 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2012.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2012] [Revised: 05/02/2012] [Accepted: 05/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The zebrafish has become an ideal vertebrate animal system for investigating cardiac development due to its genetic tractability, external fertilization, early optical clarity and ability to survive without a functional cardiovascular system during development. In particular, recent advances in imaging techniques and the creation of zebrafish transgenics now permit the in vivo analysis of the dynamic cellular events that transpire during cardiac morphogenesis. As a result, the combination of these salient features provides detailed insight as to how specific genes may influence cardiac development at the cellular level. In this review, we will highlight how the zebrafish has been utilized to elucidate not only the underlying mechanisms of cardiac development and human congenital heart diseases (CHDs), but also potential pathways that may modulate cardiac regeneration. Thus, we have organized this review based on the major categories of CHDs-structural heart, functional heart, and vascular/great vessel defects, and will conclude with how the zebrafish may be further used to contribute to our understanding of specific human CHDs in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Tu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093-0613J, USA
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