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Hoareau M, El Kholti N, Debret R, Lambert E. Zebrafish as a Model to Study Vascular Elastic Fibers and Associated Pathologies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:2102. [PMID: 35216218 PMCID: PMC8875079 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [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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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Hoareau
- Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et Ingénierie Thérapeutique (LBTI), UMR CNRS 5305, Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, Université Lyon 1, 7, Passage du Vercors, CEDEX 07, F-69367 Lyon, France; (N.E.K.); (R.D.)
| | | | | | - Elise Lambert
- Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et Ingénierie Thérapeutique (LBTI), UMR CNRS 5305, Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, Université Lyon 1, 7, Passage du Vercors, CEDEX 07, F-69367 Lyon, France; (N.E.K.); (R.D.)
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Mariotto A, Pavlova O, Park HS, Huber M, Hohl D. HOPX: The Unusual Homeodomain-Containing Protein. J Invest Dermatol 2016; 136:905-911. [PMID: 27017330 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2016.01.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2015] [Revised: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The homeodomain-only protein homeobox (HOPX) is the smallest known member of the homeodomain-containing protein family, atypically unable to bind DNA. HOPX is widely expressed in diverse tissues, where it is critically involved in the regulation of proliferation and differentiation. In human skin, HOPX controls epidermal formation through the regulation of late differentiation markers, and HOPX expression correlates with the level of differentiation in cutaneous pathologies. In mouse skin, Hopx was additionally identified as a lineage tracing marker of quiescent hair follicle stem cells. This review discusses current knowledge of HOPX structure and function in normal and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Mariotto
- Laboratory of Cutaneous Biology, Service of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olesya Pavlova
- Laboratory of Cutaneous Biology, Service of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hyun-Sook Park
- Laboratory of Cutaneous Biology, Service of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marcel Huber
- Laboratory of Cutaneous Biology, Service of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Hohl
- Laboratory of Cutaneous Biology, Service of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Nelson DO, Jin DX, Downs KM, Kamp TJ, Lyons GE. Irx4 identifies a chamber-specific cell population that contributes to ventricular myocardium development. Dev Dyn 2014; 243:381-92. [PMID: 24123507 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2013] [Revised: 10/02/2013] [Accepted: 10/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ventricular myocardium is the most prominent layer of the heart, and the most important for mediating cardiac physiology. Although the ventricular myocardium is critical for heart function, the cellular hierarchy responsible for ventricle-specific myocardium development remains unresolved. RESULTS To determine the pattern and time course of ventricular myocardium development, we investigated IRX4 protein expression, which has not been previously reported. We identified IRX4+ cells in the cardiac crescent, and these cells were positive for markers of the first or second heart fields. From the onset of chamber formation, IRX4+ cells were restricted to the ventricular myocardium. This expression pattern persisted into adulthood. Of interest, we observed that IRX4 exhibits developmentally regulated dynamic intracellular localization. Throughout prenatal cardiogenesis, and up to postnatal day 4, IRX4 was detected in the cytoplasm of ventricular myocytes. However, between postnatal days 5–6, IRX4 translocated to the nucleus of ventricular myocytes. CONCLUSIONS Given the ventricle-specific expression of Irx4 in later stages of heart development, we hypothesize that IRX4+ cells in the cardiac crescent represent the earliest cell population in the cellular hierarchy underlying ventricular myocardium development.
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Staudt D, Stainier D. Uncovering the molecular and cellular mechanisms of heart development using the zebrafish. Annu Rev Genet 2012; 46:397-418. [PMID: 22974299 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-110711-155646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Over the past 20 years, the zebrafish has emerged as a powerful model organism for studying cardiac development. Its ability to survive without an active circulation and amenability to forward genetics has led to the identification of numerous mutants whose study has helped elucidate new mechanisms in cardiac development. Furthermore, its transparent, externally developing embryos have allowed detailed cellular analyses of heart development. In this review, we discuss the molecular and cellular processes involved in zebrafish heart development from progenitor specification to development of the valve and the conduction system. We focus on imaging studies that have uncovered the cellular bases of heart development and on zebrafish mutants with cardiac abnormalities whose study has revealed novel molecular pathways in cardiac cell specification and tissue morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Staudt
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
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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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Chi NC, Shaw RM, Jungblut B, Huisken J, Ferrer T, Arnaout R, Scott I, Beis D, Xiao T, Baier H, Jan LY, Tristani-Firouzi M, Stainier DYR. Genetic and physiologic dissection of the vertebrate cardiac conduction system. PLoS Biol 2008; 6:e109. [PMID: 18479184 PMCID: PMC2430899 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0060109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 207] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2007] [Accepted: 03/20/2008] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate hearts depend on highly specialized cardiomyocytes that form the cardiac conduction system (CCS) to coordinate chamber contraction and drive blood efficiently and unidirectionally throughout the organism. Defects in this specialized wiring system can lead to syncope and sudden cardiac death. Thus, a greater understanding of cardiac conduction development may help to prevent these devastating clinical outcomes. Utilizing a cardiac-specific fluorescent calcium indicator zebrafish transgenic line, Tg(cmlc2:gCaMP)(s878), that allows for in vivo optical mapping analysis in intact animals, we identified and analyzed four distinct stages of cardiac conduction development that correspond to cellular and anatomical changes of the developing heart. Additionally, we observed that epigenetic factors, such as hemodynamic flow and contraction, regulate the fast conduction network of this specialized electrical system. To identify novel regulators of the CCS, we designed and performed a new, physiology-based, forward genetic screen and identified for the first time, to our knowledge, 17 conduction-specific mutations. Positional cloning of hobgoblin(s634) revealed that tcf2, a homeobox transcription factor gene involved in mature onset diabetes of the young and familial glomerulocystic kidney disease, also regulates conduction between the atrium and the ventricle. The combination of the Tg(cmlc2:gCaMP)(s878) line/in vivo optical mapping technique and characterization of cardiac conduction mutants provides a novel multidisciplinary approach to further understand the molecular determinants of the vertebrate CCS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil C Chi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Programs in Developmental Biology, Genetics, and Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Robin M Shaw
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Benno Jungblut
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Programs in Developmental Biology, Genetics, and Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Jan Huisken
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Programs in Developmental Biology, Genetics, and Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Tania Ferrer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
- Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Rima Arnaout
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Programs in Developmental Biology, Genetics, and Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ian Scott
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dimitris Beis
- Developmental Biology, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Tong Xiao
- Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Programs in Neuroscience, Genetics, Human Genetics, and Developmental Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Herwig Baier
- Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Programs in Neuroscience, Genetics, Human Genetics, and Developmental Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Lily Y Jan
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Programs in Developmental Biology, Genetics, and Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Martin Tristani-Firouzi
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Didier Y. R Stainier
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Programs in Developmental Biology, Genetics, and Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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