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Weng LC, Khurshid S, Hall AW, Nauffal V, Morrill VN, Sun YV, Rämö JT, Beer D, Lee S, Nadkarni G, Johnson R, Andreasen L, Clayton A, Pullinger CR, Yoneda ZT, Friedman DJ, Hyman MC, Judy RL, Skanes AC, Orland KM, Jordà P, Treu TM, Oetjens MT, Subbiah R, Hartmann JP, May HT, Kane JP, Issa TZ, Nafissi NA, Leong-Sit P, Dubé MP, Roselli C, Choi SH, Tardif JC, Khan HR, Knight S, Svendsen JH, Walker B, Linnér RK, Gaziano JM, Tadros R, Fatkin D, Rader DJ, Shah SH, Roden DM, Marcus GM, Loos RJ, Damrauer SM, Haggerty CM, Cho K, Palotie A, Olesen MS, Eckhardt LL, Roberts JD, Cutler MJ, Shoemaker MB, Wilson PW, Ellinor PT, Lubitz SA. Meta-Analysis of Genome-Wide Association Studies Reveals Genetic Mechanisms of Supraventricular Arrhythmias. CIRCULATION. GENOMIC AND PRECISION MEDICINE 2024; 17:e004320. [PMID: 38804128 PMCID: PMC11187659 DOI: 10.1161/circgen.123.004320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substantial data support a heritable basis for supraventricular tachycardias, but the genetic determinants and molecular mechanisms of these arrhythmias are poorly understood. We sought to identify genetic loci associated with atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) and atrioventricular accessory pathways or atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia (AVAPs/AVRT). METHODS We performed multiancestry meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies to identify genetic loci for AVNRT (4 studies) and AVAP/AVRT (7 studies). We assessed evidence supporting the potential causal effects of candidate genes by analyzing relations between associated variants and cardiac gene expression, performing transcriptome-wide analyses, and examining prior genome-wide association studies. RESULTS Analyses comprised 2384 AVNRT cases and 106 489 referents, and 2811 AVAP/AVRT cases and 1,483 093 referents. We identified 2 significant loci for AVNRT, which implicate NKX2-5 and TTN as disease susceptibility genes. A transcriptome-wide association analysis supported an association between reduced predicted cardiac expression of NKX2-5 and AVNRT. We identified 3 significant loci for AVAP/AVRT, which implicate SCN5A, SCN10A, and TTN/CCDC141. Variant associations at several loci have been previously reported for cardiac phenotypes, including atrial fibrillation, stroke, Brugada syndrome, and electrocardiographic intervals. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight gene regions associated with ion channel function (AVAP/AVRT), as well as cardiac development and the sarcomere (AVAP/AVRT and AVNRT) as important potential effectors of supraventricular tachycardia susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Chen Weng
- Cardiovascular Rsrch Ctr, Dept of Medicine, Dept of Neurology & Dept of Psychiatry, MGH, Boston
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, The Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge
- VA Boston Healthcare System
| | - Shaan Khurshid
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, The Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge
- Demoulas Ctr for Cardiac Arrhythmias, Dept of Medicine, Dept of Neurology & Dept of Psychiatry, MGH, Boston
| | - Amelia Weber Hall
- Gene Regulation Observatory, The Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge
| | - Victor Nauffal
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, The Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge
- VA Boston Healthcare System
- Cardiovascular Medicine Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Valerie N. Morrill
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, The Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge
| | - Yan V. Sun
- Dept of Epidemiology, Emory Univ Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta
- VA Atlanta Healthcare System, Decatur, GA
| | - Joel T. Rämö
- Inst for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Inst of Life Science (HiLIFE), Univ of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- The Broad Inst of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | | | - Simon Lee
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | | | - Renee Johnson
- Victor Chang Cardiac Rsrch Inst, Darlinghurst
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, Australia
| | - Laura Andreasen
- Laboratory for Molecular Cardiology, Dept of Cardiology, Copenhagen Univ Hospital, Rigshospitalet
- Dept of Biomedical Sciences, Univ of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anne Clayton
- Intermountain Heart Inst, Intermountain Medical Ctr, Murray, UT
| | - Clive R. Pullinger
- Cardiovascular Rsrch Inst & Dept of Physiological Nursing, Univ of California, San Francisco, CA
| | - Zachary T. Yoneda
- Dept of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Vanderbilt Univ Medical Ctr, Nashville, TN
| | - Daniel J. Friedman
- Division of Cardiology, Dept of Medicine, Duke Univ School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | - Matthew C. Hyman
- Division of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Hospital of the Univ of Pennsylvania
| | - Renae L. Judy
- Dept of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, Univ of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Allan C. Skanes
- Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Dept of Medicine, Western Univ, London, ON, Canada
| | - Kate M. Orland
- Dept of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Univ of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Paloma Jordà
- Montreal Heart Inst Rsrch Ctr & Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | | | - Rajesh Subbiah
- Victor Chang Cardiac Rsrch Inst, Darlinghurst
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, Australia
- St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst
| | - Jacob P. Hartmann
- Laboratory for Molecular Cardiology, Dept of Cardiology, Copenhagen Univ Hospital, Rigshospitalet
| | - Heidi T. May
- Intermountain Heart Inst, Intermountain Medical Ctr, Murray, UT
| | - John P. Kane
- Cardiovascular Rsrch Inst, Univ of California, San Francisco, CA
- Dept of Medicine, Univ of California, San Francisco, CA
- Dept of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Univ of California, San Francisco, CA
| | - Tariq Z. Issa
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern Univ, Chicago, IL
| | - Navid A. Nafissi
- Division of Cardiology, Dept of Medicine, Duke Univ School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | - Peter Leong-Sit
- Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Dept of Medicine, Western Univ, London, ON, Canada
| | - Marie-Pierre Dubé
- Montreal Heart Inst Rsrch Ctr & Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Beaulieu-Saucier Pharmacogenomics Ctr, Montreal, Canada
| | - Carolina Roselli
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, The Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge
- Dept of Cardiology, Univ of Groningen, University Medical Ctr Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Seung Hoan Choi
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, The Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge
| | | | | | | | - Jean-Claude Tardif
- Montreal Heart Inst Rsrch Ctr & Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Habib R. Khan
- Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Dept of Medicine, Western Univ, London, ON, Canada
| | - Stacey Knight
- Intermountain Heart Inst, Intermountain Medical Ctr, Murray, UT
- Dept of Medicine, Univ of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Jesper H. Svendsen
- Laboratory for Molecular Cardiology, Dept of Cardiology, Copenhagen Univ Hospital, Rigshospitalet
- Dept of Clinical Medicine, Univ of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bruce Walker
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, Australia
- St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst
| | - Richard Karlsson Linnér
- Autism & Developmental Medicine Inst, Geisinger, Lewisburg, PA
- Dept of Economics, Leiden Law School, Leiden Univ, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - J. Michael Gaziano
- VA Boston Healthcare System
- Cardiovascular Medicine Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Rafik Tadros
- Montreal Heart Inst Rsrch Ctr & Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Diane Fatkin
- Victor Chang Cardiac Rsrch Inst, Darlinghurst
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, Australia
- St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst
| | - Daniel J. Rader
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Dept of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, Univ of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Svati H. Shah
- Division of Cardiology, Dept of Medicine, Duke Univ School of Medicine, Durham, NC
- Duke Molecular Physiology Inst, Duke Univ School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | | | | | - Ruth J.F. Loos
- Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY & Novo Nordisk Foundation Ctr for Basic Metabolic Rsrch, Dept of Health & Medical Sciences, Univ of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Scott M. Damrauer
- Dept of Surgery & Dept of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, Univ of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Corporal Michael Crescenz VA Medical Ctr, Philadelphia
| | - Christopher M. Haggerty
- Heart Inst, Geisinger, Danville, PA
- Dept of Translational Data Science & Informatics, Geisinger, Danville, PA
| | - Kelly Cho
- VA Boston Healthcare System
- Cardiovascular Medicine Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Aarno Palotie
- Inst for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Inst of Life Science (HiLIFE), Univ of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- The Stanley Center for Psychiatric Rsrch & Program in Medical & Population Genetics, The Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge
- Analytic & Translational Genetics Unit, Dept of Medicine, Dept of Neurology & Dept of Psychiatry, MGH, Boston
| | - Morten S. Olesen
- Laboratory for Molecular Cardiology, Dept of Cardiology, Copenhagen Univ Hospital, Rigshospitalet
- Dept of Biomedical Sciences, Univ of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lee L. Eckhardt
- Dept of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Univ of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Jason D. Roberts
- Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Dept of Medicine, Western Univ, London, ON, Canada
| | | | - M. Benjamin Shoemaker
- Dept of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Vanderbilt Univ Medical Ctr, Nashville, TN
| | - Peter W.F. Wilson
- VA Atlanta Healthcare System, Decatur, GA
- Dept of Medicine, Emory Univ School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Patrick T. Ellinor
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, The Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge
- Demoulas Ctr for Cardiac Arrhythmias, Dept of Medicine, Dept of Neurology & Dept of Psychiatry, MGH, Boston
| | - Steven A. Lubitz
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, The Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge
- Demoulas Ctr for Cardiac Arrhythmias, Dept of Medicine, Dept of Neurology & Dept of Psychiatry, MGH, Boston
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Zhang Q, Meng H, Wang X, Chen Y, Yan Z, Ruan J, Meng F. Low expression of Notch1 may be associated with acute myocardial infarction. Front Cardiovasc Med 2024; 11:1367675. [PMID: 38841263 PMCID: PMC11150703 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2024.1367675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The transmembrane protein Notch1 is associated with cell growth, development, differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, adhesion, and the epithelial mesenchymal transition. Proteomics, as a research method, uses a series of sequencing techniques to study the composition, expression levels, and modifications of proteins. Here, the association between Notch1 and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was investigated using proteomics, to assess the possibility of using Notch1 as a biomarker for the disease. Methods Fifty-five eligible patients with AMI and 74 with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) were enrolled, representing the experimental and control groups, respectively. The mRNA levels were assessed using RT-qPCR and proteins were measured using ELISA, and the results were compared and analyzed. Results Notch1 mRNA levels were 0.52 times higher in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the AMI group relative to the CCS group (p < 0.05) while Notch1 protein levels were 0.63 times higher in peripheral blood plasma in AMI patients (p < 0.05). Notch1 levels were not associated with older age, hypertension, smoking, high abdominal-blood glucose, high total cholesterol, and high LDL in AMI. Logistic regression indicated associations between AMI and reduced Notch1 expression, hypertension, smoking, and high fasting glucose. Conclusions Notch1 expression was reduced in the peripheral blood of patients with AMI relative to those with CCS. The low expression of Notch1 was found to be an independent risk factor for AMI and may thus be an indicator of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Endothelial Function and Genetic Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Disease, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Molecular Biology Research Center for Precision Medicine of Major Cardiovascular Disease, Jilin Provincial Cardiovascular Research Institute, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Precision Medicine Key Laboratory for Cardiovascular Genetic Diagnosis, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Heyu Meng
- Department of Cardiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Endothelial Function and Genetic Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Disease, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Molecular Biology Research Center for Precision Medicine of Major Cardiovascular Disease, Jilin Provincial Cardiovascular Research Institute, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Precision Medicine Key Laboratory for Cardiovascular Genetic Diagnosis, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Xue Wang
- Department of Cardiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Endothelial Function and Genetic Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Disease, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Molecular Biology Research Center for Precision Medicine of Major Cardiovascular Disease, Jilin Provincial Cardiovascular Research Institute, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Precision Medicine Key Laboratory for Cardiovascular Genetic Diagnosis, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Yanqiu Chen
- Department of Cardiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Endothelial Function and Genetic Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Disease, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Molecular Biology Research Center for Precision Medicine of Major Cardiovascular Disease, Jilin Provincial Cardiovascular Research Institute, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Precision Medicine Key Laboratory for Cardiovascular Genetic Diagnosis, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Zhaohan Yan
- Department of Cardiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Endothelial Function and Genetic Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Disease, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Molecular Biology Research Center for Precision Medicine of Major Cardiovascular Disease, Jilin Provincial Cardiovascular Research Institute, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Precision Medicine Key Laboratory for Cardiovascular Genetic Diagnosis, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Jianjun Ruan
- Department of Cardiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Endothelial Function and Genetic Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Disease, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Molecular Biology Research Center for Precision Medicine of Major Cardiovascular Disease, Jilin Provincial Cardiovascular Research Institute, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Precision Medicine Key Laboratory for Cardiovascular Genetic Diagnosis, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Fanbo Meng
- Department of Cardiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Endothelial Function and Genetic Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Disease, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Molecular Biology Research Center for Precision Medicine of Major Cardiovascular Disease, Jilin Provincial Cardiovascular Research Institute, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jilin Provincial Precision Medicine Key Laboratory for Cardiovascular Genetic Diagnosis, Changchun, Jilin, China
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3
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Ye C, Yang C, Zhang H, Gao R, Liao Y, Zhang Y, Jie L, Zhang Y, Cheng T, Wang Y, Ren J. Canonical Wnt signaling directs the generation of functional human PSC-derived atrioventricular canal cardiomyocytes in bioprinted cardiac tissues. Cell Stem Cell 2024; 31:398-409.e5. [PMID: 38366588 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2024.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
The creation of a functional 3D bioprinted human heart remains challenging, largely due to the lack of some crucial cardiac cell types, including the atrioventricular canal (AVC) cardiomyocytes, which are essential to slow down the electrical impulse between the atrium and ventricle. By utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing analysis and a 3D bioprinting technology, we discover that stage-specific activation of canonical Wnt signaling creates functional AVC cardiomyocytes derived from human pluripotent stem cells. These cardiomyocytes display morphological characteristics and express molecular markers of AVC cardiomyocytes, including transcription factors TBX2 and MSX2. When bioprinted in prefabricated cardiac tissues, these cardiomyocytes successfully delay the electrical impulse, demonstrating their capability of functioning as the AVC cardiomyocytes in vitro. Thus, these findings not only identify canonical Wnt signaling as a key regulator of the AVC cardiomyocyte differentiation in vitro, but, more importantly, provide a critical cellular source for the biofabrication of a functional human heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxi Ye
- Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361006, Fujian, China
| | - Chuanlai Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Heqiang Zhang
- Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361006, Fujian, China
| | - Rui Gao
- Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361006, Fujian, China
| | - Yingnan Liao
- Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361006, Fujian, China
| | - Yali Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Lingjun Jie
- Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361006, Fujian, China
| | - Yanhui Zhang
- Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361006, Fujian, China
| | - Tong Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361006, Fujian, China.
| | - Jie Ren
- Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361006, Fujian, China.
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Lee C, Xu S, Samad T, Goodyer WR, Raissadati A, Heinrich P, Wu SM. The cardiac conduction system: History, development, and disease. Curr Top Dev Biol 2024; 156:157-200. [PMID: 38556422 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2024.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
The heart is the first organ to form during embryonic development, establishing the circulatory infrastructure necessary to sustain life and enable downstream organogenesis. Critical to the heart's function is its ability to initiate and propagate electrical impulses that allow for the coordinated contraction and relaxation of its chambers, and thus, the movement of blood and nutrients. Several specialized structures within the heart, collectively known as the cardiac conduction system (CCS), are responsible for this phenomenon. In this review, we discuss the discovery and scientific history of the mammalian cardiac conduction system as well as the key genes and transcription factors implicated in the formation of its major structures. We also describe known human diseases related to CCS development and explore existing challenges in the clinical context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carissa Lee
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Sidra Xu
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Tahmina Samad
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States; Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - William R Goodyer
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States; Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Alireza Raissadati
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States; Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Paul Heinrich
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States; Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Diseases, First Department of Medicine, Cardiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Sean M Wu
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States; Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States; Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.
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5
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Jensen B, Moorman AFM. Evolutionary Aspects of Chamber Formation and Septation. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1441:227-238. [PMID: 38884714 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-44087-8_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
The formed hearts of vertebrates are widely different in anatomy and performance, yet their embryonic hearts are surprisingly similar. Developmental and molecular biology are making great advances in reconciling these differences by revealing an evolutionarily conserved building plan to the vertebrate heart. This suggests that perspectives from evolution may improve our understanding of the formation of the human heart. Here, we exemplify this approach by discussing atrial and ventricular septation and the associated processes of remodeling of the atrioventricular junction and formation of the atrioventricular insulating plane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bjarke Jensen
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Antoon F M Moorman
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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van der Maarel LE, Christoffels VM. Development of the Cardiac Conduction System. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1441:185-200. [PMID: 38884712 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-44087-8_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
The electrical impulses that coordinate the sequential, rhythmic contractions of the atria and ventricles are initiated and tightly regulated by the specialized tissues of the cardiac conduction system. In the mature heart, these impulses are generated by the pacemaker cardiomyocytes of the sinoatrial node, propagated through the atria to the atrioventricular node where they are delayed and then rapidly propagated to the atrioventricular bundle, right and left bundle branches, and finally, the peripheral ventricular conduction system. Each of these specialized components arise by complex patterning events during embryonic development. This chapter addresses the origins and transcriptional networks and signaling pathways that drive the development and maintain the function of the cardiac conduction system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lieve E van der Maarel
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent M Christoffels
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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7
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Jensen B, Andelfinger GU, Postma AV. Molecular Pathways and Animal Models of Ebstein's Anomaly. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1441:915-928. [PMID: 38884760 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-44087-8_58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Ebstein's anomaly is a congenital malformation of the tricuspid valve characterized by abnormal attachment of the valve leaflets, resulting in varying degrees of valve dysfunction. The anatomic hallmarks of this entity are the downward displacement of the attachment of the septal and posterior leaflets of the tricuspid valve. Additional intracardiac malformations are common. From an embryological point of view, the cavity of the future right atrium does not have a direct orifice connected to the developing right ventricle. This chapter provides an overview of current insight into how this connection is formed and how malformations of the tricuspid valve arise from dysregulation of molecular and morphological events involved in this process. Furthermore, mouse models that show features of Ebstein's anomaly and the naturally occurring model of canine tricuspid valve malformation are described and compared to the human model. Although Ebstein's anomaly remains one of the least understood cardiac malformations to date, the studies summarized here provide, in aggregate, evidence for monogenic and oligogenic factors driving pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bjarke Jensen
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gregor U Andelfinger
- Cardiovascular Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, CHU Sainte Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Alex V Postma
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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8
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Kim EE, Shekhar A, Ramachandran J, Khodadadi-Jamayran A, Liu FY, Zhang J, Fishman GI. The transcription factor EBF1 non-cell-autonomously regulates cardiac growth and differentiation. Development 2023; 150:dev202054. [PMID: 37787076 PMCID: PMC10652039 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Reciprocal interactions between non-myocytes and cardiomyocytes regulate cardiac growth and differentiation. Here, we report that the transcription factor Ebf1 is highly expressed in non-myocytes and potently regulates heart development. Ebf1-deficient hearts display myocardial hypercellularity and reduced cardiomyocyte size, ventricular conduction system hypoplasia, and conduction system disease. Growth abnormalities in Ebf1 knockout hearts are observed as early as embryonic day 13.5. Transcriptional profiling of Ebf1-deficient embryonic cardiac non-myocytes demonstrates dysregulation of Polycomb repressive complex 2 targets, and ATAC-Seq reveals altered chromatin accessibility near many of these same genes. Gene set enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes in cardiomyocytes isolated from E13.5 hearts of wild-type and mutant mice reveals significant enrichment of MYC targets and, consistent with this finding, we observe increased abundance of MYC in mutant hearts. EBF1-deficient non-myocytes, but not wild-type non-myocytes, are sufficient to induce excessive accumulation of MYC in co-cultured wild-type cardiomyocytes. Finally, we demonstrate that BMP signaling induces Ebf1 expression in embryonic heart cultures and controls a gene program enriched in EBF1 targets. These data reveal a previously unreported non-cell-autonomous pathway controlling cardiac growth and differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene E. Kim
- Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Akshay Shekhar
- Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jayalakshmi Ramachandran
- Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | | | - Fang-Yu Liu
- Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jie Zhang
- Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Glenn I. Fishman
- Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
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9
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Chang YH, Sheftel BI, Jensen B. Anatomy of the heart with the highest heart rate. J Anat 2022; 241:173-190. [PMID: 35128670 PMCID: PMC9178362 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Shrews occupy the lower extreme of the seven orders of magnitude mammals range in size. Their hearts are large relative to body weight and heart rate can exceed a thousand beats a minute. It is not known whether traits typical of mammal hearts scale to these extremes. We assessed the heart of three species of shrew (genus Sorex) following the sequential segmental analysis developed for human hearts. Using micro‐computed tomography, we describe the overall structure and find, in agreement with previous studies, a large and elongate ventricle. The atrial and ventricular septums and the atrioventricular (AV) and arterial valves are typically mammalian. The ventricular walls comprise mostly compact myocardium and especially the right ventricle has few trabeculations on the luminal side. A developmental process of compaction is thought to reduce trabeculations in mammals, but in embryonic shrews the volume of trabeculations increase for every gestational stage, only slower than the compact volume. By expression of Hcn4, we identify a sinus node and an AV conduction axis which is continuous with the ventricular septal crest. Outstanding traits include pulmonary venous sleeve myocardium that reaches farther into the lungs than in any other mammals. Typical proportions of coronary arteries‐to‐aorta do not scale and the shrew coronary arteries are proportionally enormous, presumably to avoid the high resistance to blood flow of narrow vessels. In conclusion, most cardiac traits do scale to the miniscule shrews. The shrew heart, nevertheless, stands out by its relative size, elongation, proportionally large coronary vessels, and extent of pulmonary venous myocardium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Hee Chang
- Department of Medical Biology University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Boris I. Sheftel
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS (Russian Academy of Sciences) Moscow Russian Federation
| | - Bjarke Jensen
- Department of Medical Biology University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC Amsterdam The Netherlands
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10
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Zhang DM, Navara R, Yin T, Szymanski J, Goldsztejn U, Kenkel C, Lang A, Mpoy C, Lipovsky CE, Qiao Y, Hicks S, Li G, Moore KMS, Bergom C, Rogers BE, Robinson CG, Cuculich PS, Schwarz JK, Rentschler SL. Cardiac radiotherapy induces electrical conduction reprogramming in the absence of transmural fibrosis. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5558. [PMID: 34561429 PMCID: PMC8463558 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25730-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiac radiotherapy (RT) may be effective in treating heart failure (HF) patients with refractory ventricular tachycardia (VT). The previously proposed mechanism of radiation-induced fibrosis does not explain the rapidity and magnitude with which VT reduction occurs clinically. Here, we demonstrate in hearts from RT patients that radiation does not achieve transmural fibrosis within the timeframe of VT reduction. Electrophysiologic assessment of irradiated murine hearts reveals a persistent supraphysiologic electrical phenotype, mediated by increases in NaV1.5 and Cx43. By sequencing and transgenic approaches, we identify Notch signaling as a mechanistic contributor to NaV1.5 upregulation after RT. Clinically, RT was associated with increased NaV1.5 expression in 1 of 1 explanted heart. On electrocardiogram (ECG), post-RT QRS durations were shortened in 13 of 19 patients and lengthened in 5 patients. Collectively, this study provides evidence for radiation-induced reprogramming of cardiac conduction as a potential treatment strategy for arrhythmia management in VT patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Zhang
- Center for Noninvasive Cardiac Radioablation, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rachita Navara
- Center for Noninvasive Cardiac Radioablation, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Tiankai Yin
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jeffrey Szymanski
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Uri Goldsztejn
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Camryn Kenkel
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Adam Lang
- Department of Pathology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Cedric Mpoy
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Catherine E Lipovsky
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Yun Qiao
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Stephanie Hicks
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kaitlin M S Moore
- Center for Noninvasive Cardiac Radioablation, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Carmen Bergom
- Center for Noninvasive Cardiac Radioablation, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Buck E Rogers
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Clifford G Robinson
- Center for Noninvasive Cardiac Radioablation, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Phillip S Cuculich
- Center for Noninvasive Cardiac Radioablation, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Julie K Schwarz
- Center for Noninvasive Cardiac Radioablation, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Stacey L Rentschler
- Center for Noninvasive Cardiac Radioablation, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
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11
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Marracino L, Fortini F, Bouhamida E, Camponogara F, Severi P, Mazzoni E, Patergnani S, D’Aniello E, Campana R, Pinton P, Martini F, Tognon M, Campo G, Ferrari R, Vieceli Dalla Sega F, Rizzo P. Adding a "Notch" to Cardiovascular Disease Therapeutics: A MicroRNA-Based Approach. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:695114. [PMID: 34527667 PMCID: PMC8435685 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.695114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of the Notch pathway is implicated in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), but, as of today, therapies based on the re-establishing the physiological levels of Notch in the heart and vessels are not available. A possible reason is the context-dependent role of Notch in the cardiovascular system, which would require a finely tuned, cell-specific approach. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short functional endogenous, non-coding RNA sequences able to regulate gene expression at post-transcriptional levels influencing most, if not all, biological processes. Dysregulation of miRNAs expression is implicated in the molecular mechanisms underlying many CVDs. Notch is regulated and regulates a large number of miRNAs expressed in the cardiovascular system and, thus, targeting these miRNAs could represent an avenue to be explored to target Notch for CVDs. In this Review, we provide an overview of both established and potential, based on evidence in other pathologies, crosstalks between miRNAs and Notch in cellular processes underlying atherosclerosis, myocardial ischemia, heart failure, calcification of aortic valve, and arrhythmias. We also discuss the potential advantages, as well as the challenges, of using miRNAs for a Notch-based approach for the diagnosis and treatment of the most common CVDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Marracino
- Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | | | - Esmaa Bouhamida
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Francesca Camponogara
- Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Paolo Severi
- Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Elisa Mazzoni
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Simone Patergnani
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Emanuele D’Aniello
- Cardiovascular Institute, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Roberta Campana
- Cardiovascular Institute, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Paolo Pinton
- Maria Cecilia Hospital, GVM Care & Research, Ravenna, Italy
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Fernanda Martini
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Mauro Tognon
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Gianluca Campo
- Maria Cecilia Hospital, GVM Care & Research, Ravenna, Italy
- Cardiovascular Institute, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Roberto Ferrari
- Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Maria Cecilia Hospital, GVM Care & Research, Ravenna, Italy
| | | | - Paola Rizzo
- Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Maria Cecilia Hospital, GVM Care & Research, Ravenna, Italy
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12
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He BJ, Merriman AF, Cakulev I, Stambler BS, Srivastava D, Scheinman MM. Ebstein's Anomaly: Review of Arrhythmia Types and Morphogenesis of the Anomaly. JACC Clin Electrophysiol 2021; 7:1198-1206. [PMID: 34454887 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacep.2021.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Beixin Julie He
- Cardiology, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington, USA; Cardiology, Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
| | | | - Ivan Cakulev
- Department of Medicine, University Hospitals of Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Deepak Srivastava
- Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, San Francisco, California, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Melvin M Scheinman
- Cardiology, Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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13
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Gao R, Ren J. Zebrafish Models in Therapeutic Research of Cardiac Conduction Disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:731402. [PMID: 34422842 PMCID: PMC8371477 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.731402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Malfunction in the cardiac conduction system (CCS) due to congenital anomalies or diseases can cause cardiac conduction disease (CCD), which results in disturbances in cardiac rhythm, leading to syncope and even sudden cardiac death. Insights into development of the CCS components, including pacemaker cardiomyocytes (CMs), atrioventricular node (AVN) and the ventricular conduction system (VCS), can shed light on the pathological and molecular mechanisms underlying CCD, provide approaches for generating human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived CCS cells, and thus improve therapeutic treatment for such a potentially life-threatening disorder of the heart. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling CCS development remain elusive. The zebrafish has become a valuable vertebrate model to investigate early development of CCS components because of its unique features such as external fertilization, embryonic optical transparency and the ability to survive even with severe cardiovascular defects during development. In this review, we highlight how the zebrafish has been utilized to dissect the cellular and molecular mechanisms of CCS development, and how the evolutionarily conserved developmental mechanisms discovered in zebrafish could be applied to directing the creation of hPSC-derived CCS cells, therefore providing potential therapeutic strategies that may contribute to better treatment for CCD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Gao
- Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jie Ren
- Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
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14
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Díaz Del Moral S, Barrena S, Hernández-Torres F, Aránega A, Villaescusa JM, Gómez Doblas JJ, Franco D, Jiménez-Navarro M, Muñoz-Chápuli R, Carmona R. Deletion of the Wilms' Tumor Suppressor Gene in the Cardiac Troponin-T Lineage Reveals Novel Functions of WT1 in Heart Development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:683861. [PMID: 34368133 PMCID: PMC8339973 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.683861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Expression of Wilms’ tumor suppressor transcription factor (WT1) in the embryonic epicardium is essential for cardiac development, but its myocardial expression is little known. We have found that WT1 is expressed at low levels in 20–25% of the embryonic cardiomyocytes. Conditional ablation of WT1 using a cardiac troponin T driver (Tnnt2Cre) caused abnormal sinus venosus and atrium development, lack of pectinate muscles, thin ventricular myocardium and, in some cases, interventricular septum and cardiac wall defects, ventricular diverticula and aneurisms. Coronary development was normal and there was not embryonic lethality, although survival of adult mutant mice was reduced probably due to perinatal mortality. Adult mutant mice showed electrocardiographic anomalies, including increased RR and QRS intervals, and decreased PR intervals. RNASeq analysis identified differential expression of 137 genes in the E13.5 mutant heart as compared to controls. GO functional enrichment analysis suggested that both calcium ion regulation and modulation of potassium channels are deeply altered in the mutant myocardium. In summary, together with its essential function in the embryonic epicardium, myocardial WT1 expression is also required for normal cardiac development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Silvia Barrena
- Department of Animal Biology, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Francisco Hernández-Torres
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology III and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.,Medina Foundation, Technology Park of Health Sciences, Granada, Spain
| | - Amelia Aránega
- Medina Foundation, Technology Park of Health Sciences, Granada, Spain.,Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain
| | - José Manuel Villaescusa
- Heart Area Clinical Management Unit, University Hosp tal Virgen de la Victoria, CIBERCV Enfermedades Cardiovasculares Health Institute Carlos III, Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga (IBIMA), University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Juan José Gómez Doblas
- Heart Area Clinical Management Unit, University Hosp tal Virgen de la Victoria, CIBERCV Enfermedades Cardiovasculares Health Institute Carlos III, Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga (IBIMA), University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Diego Franco
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain
| | - Manuel Jiménez-Navarro
- Heart Area Clinical Management Unit, University Hosp tal Virgen de la Victoria, CIBERCV Enfermedades Cardiovasculares Health Institute Carlos III, Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga (IBIMA), University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | | | - Rita Carmona
- Department of Animal Biology, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
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15
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Rivaud MR, Blok M, Jongbloed MRM, Boukens BJ. How Cardiac Embryology Translates into Clinical Arrhythmias. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2021; 8:jcdd8060070. [PMID: 34199178 PMCID: PMC8231901 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd8060070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The electrophysiological signatures of the myocardium in cardiac structures, such as the atrioventricular node, pulmonary veins or the right ventricular outflow tract, are established during development by the spatial and temporal expression of transcription factors that guide expression of specific ion channels. Genome-wide association studies have shown that small variations in genetic regions are key to the expression of these transcription factors and thereby modulate the electrical function of the heart. Moreover, mutations in these factors are found in arrhythmogenic pathologies such as congenital atrioventricular block, as well as in specific forms of atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. In this review, we discuss the developmental origin of distinct electrophysiological structures in the heart and their involvement in cardiac arrhythmias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde R. Rivaud
- Department of Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Michiel Blok
- Department of Anatomy & Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands; (M.B.); (M.R.M.J.)
| | - Monique R. M. Jongbloed
- Department of Anatomy & Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands; (M.B.); (M.R.M.J.)
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Bastiaan J. Boukens
- Department of Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +31-(0)20-566-4659
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16
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Mousavi SE, Purser GJ, Patil JG. Embryonic Onset of Sexually Dimorphic Heart Rates in the Viviparous Fish, Gambusia holbrooki. Biomedicines 2021; 9:165. [PMID: 33567532 PMCID: PMC7915484 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9020165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In fish, little is known about sex-specific differences in physiology and performance of the heart and whether these differences manifest during development. Here for the first time, the sex-specific heart rates during embryogenesis of Gambusia holbrooki, from the onset of the heart rates (HRs) to just prior to parturition, was investigated using light cardiogram. The genetic sex of the embryos was post-verified using a sex-specific genetic marker. Results reveal that heart rates and resting time significantly increase (p < 0.05) with progressive embryonic development. Furthermore, both ventricular and atrial frequencies of female embryos were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those of their male sibs at the corresponding developmental stages and remained so at all later developmental stages (p < 0.05). In concurrence, the heart rate and ventricular size of the adult females were also significantly (p < 0.05) higher and larger respectively than those of males. Collectively, the results suggest that the cardiac sex-dimorphism manifests as early as late-organogenesis and persists through adulthood in this species. These findings suggest that the cardiac measurements can be employed to non-invasively sex the developing embryos, well in advance of when their phenotypic sex is discernible. In addition, G. holbrooki could serve as a better model to study comparative vertebrate cardiovascular development as well as to investigate anthropogenic and climatic impacts on heart physiology of this species, that may be sex influenced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Ehsan Mousavi
- Fisheries and Aquaculture Centre, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, TAS 7053, Australia;
| | - G. John Purser
- Fisheries and Aquaculture Centre, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, TAS 7053, Australia;
| | - Jawahar G. Patil
- Fisheries and Aquaculture Centre, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, TAS 7053, Australia;
- Inland Fisheries Service, New Norfolk, TAS 7140, Australia
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17
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Wang Y, Lu P, Jiang L, Wu B, Zhou B. Control of sinus venous valve and sinoatrial node development by endocardial NOTCH1. Cardiovasc Res 2021; 116:1473-1486. [PMID: 31591643 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvz249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Sinus venous valve (SVV) and sinoatrial node (SAN) develop together at the sinoatrial junction during embryogenesis. SVV ensures unidirectional cardiac input and SAN generates sinus rhythmic contraction, respectively; both functions are essential for embryonic survival. We aim to reveal the potential role of endocardial NOTCH signalling in SVV and SAN formation. METHODS AND RESULTS We specifically deleted Notch1 in the endocardium using an Nfatc1Cre line. This deletion resulted in underdeveloped SVV and SAN, associated with reduced expression of T-box transcription factors, Tbx5 andTbx18, which are essential for the formation of SVV and SAN. The deletion also led to decreased expression of Wnt2 in myocardium of SVV and SAN. WNT2 treatment was able to rescue the growth defect of SVV and SAN resulted from the Notch1 deletion in whole embryo cultures. Furthermore, the Notch1 deletion reduced the expression of Nrg1 in the SVV myocardium and supplement of NRG1 restored the growth of SVV in cultured Notch1 knockout embryos. CONCLUSION Our findings support that endocardial NOTCH1 controls the development of SVV and SAN by coordinating myocardial WNT and NRG1 signalling functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yidong Wang
- Cardiovascular Research Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, Shanxi 710061, China.,Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Pengfei Lu
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Liping Jiang
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.,Department of Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China
| | - Bingruo Wu
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Bin Zhou
- Department of Genetics, Paediatrics, and Medicine (Cardiology), Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, New York 10461, USA.,Department of Cardiology of First Affiliated Hospital and State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, China
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18
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Bhattacharyya S, Munshi NV. Development of the Cardiac Conduction System. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2020; 12:cshperspect.a037408. [PMID: 31988140 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a037408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The cardiac conduction system initiates and propagates each heartbeat. Specialized conducting cells are a well-conserved phenomenon across vertebrate evolution, although mammalian and avian species harbor specific components unique to organisms with four-chamber hearts. Early histological studies in mammals provided evidence for a dominant pacemaker within the right atrium and clarified the existence of the specialized muscular axis responsible for atrioventricular conduction. Building on these seminal observations, contemporary genetic techniques in a multitude of model organisms has characterized the developmental ontogeny, gene regulatory networks, and functional importance of individual anatomical compartments within the cardiac conduction system. This review describes in detail the transcriptional and regulatory networks that act during cardiac conduction system development and homeostasis with a particular emphasis on networks implicated in human electrical variation by large genome-wide association studies. We conclude with a discussion of the clinical implications of these studies and describe some future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nikhil V Munshi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology.,McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development.,Department of Molecular Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA.,Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
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19
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Mohan RA, Bosada FM, van Weerd JH, van Duijvenboden K, Wang J, Mommersteeg MTM, Hooijkaas IB, Wakker V, de Gier-de Vries C, Coronel R, Boink GJJ, Bakkers J, Barnett P, Boukens BJ, Christoffels VM. T-box transcription factor 3 governs a transcriptional program for the function of the mouse atrioventricular conduction system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:18617-18626. [PMID: 32675240 PMCID: PMC7414162 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1919379117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies have identified noncoding variants near TBX3 that are associated with PR interval and QRS duration, suggesting that subtle changes in TBX3 expression affect atrioventricular conduction system function. To explore whether and to what extent the atrioventricular conduction system is affected by Tbx3 dose reduction, we first characterized electrophysiological properties and morphology of heterozygous Tbx3 mutant (Tbx3+/-) mouse hearts. We found PR interval shortening and prolonged QRS duration, as well as atrioventricular bundle hypoplasia after birth in heterozygous mice. The atrioventricular node size was unaffected. Transcriptomic analysis of atrioventricular nodes isolated by laser capture microdissection revealed hundreds of deregulated genes in Tbx3+/- mutants. Notably, Tbx3+/- atrioventricular nodes showed increased expression of working myocardial gene programs (mitochondrial and metabolic processes, muscle contractility) and reduced expression of pacemaker gene programs (neuronal, Wnt signaling, calcium/ion channel activity). By integrating chromatin accessibility profiles (ATAC sequencing) of atrioventricular tissue and other epigenetic data, we identified Tbx3-dependent atrioventricular regulatory DNA elements (REs) on a genome-wide scale. We used transgenic reporter assays to determine the functionality of candidate REs near Ryr2, an up-regulated chamber-enriched gene, and in Cacna1g, a down-regulated conduction system-specific gene. Using genome editing to delete candidate REs, we showed that a strong intronic bipartite RE selectively governs Cacna1g expression in the conduction system in vivo. Our data provide insights into the multifactorial Tbx3-dependent transcriptional network that regulates the structure and function of the cardiac conduction system, which may underlie the differences in PR duration and QRS interval between individuals carrying variants in the TBX3 locus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajiv A Mohan
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Fernanda M Bosada
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan H van Weerd
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karel van Duijvenboden
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jianan Wang
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mathilda T M Mommersteeg
- Burdon Sanderson Cardiac Science Centre, Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| | - Ingeborg B Hooijkaas
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent Wakker
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Corrie de Gier-de Vries
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ruben Coronel
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gerard J J Boink
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Bakkers
- Hubrecht Institute and University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Phil Barnett
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bas J Boukens
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent M Christoffels
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
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20
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Buijtendijk MF, Barnett P, van den Hoff MJ. Development of the human heart. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS. PART C, SEMINARS IN MEDICAL GENETICS 2020; 184:7-22. [PMID: 32048790 PMCID: PMC7078965 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.31778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
In 2014, an extensive review discussing the major steps of cardiac development focusing on growth, formation of primary and chamber myocardium and the development of the cardiac electrical system, was published. Molecular genetic lineage analyses have since furthered our insight in the developmental origin of the various component parts of the heart, which currently can be unambiguously identified by their unique molecular phenotype. Moreover, genetic, molecular and cell biological analyses have driven insights into the mechanisms underlying the development of the different cardiac components. Here, we build on our previous review and provide an insight into the molecular mechanistic revelations that have forwarded the field of cardiac development. Despite the enormous advances in our knowledge over the last decade, the development of congenital cardiac malformations remains poorly understood. The challenge for the next decade will be to evaluate the different developmental processes using newly developed molecular genetic techniques to further unveil the gene regulatory networks operational during normal and abnormal cardiac development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Phil Barnett
- Department of Medical BiologyAmsterdamUMC location AMCAmsterdamThe Netherlands
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21
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Abstract
The rate and rhythm of heart muscle contractions are coordinated by the cardiac conduction system (CCS), a generic term for a collection of different specialized muscular tissues within the heart. The CCS components initiate the electrical impulse at the sinoatrial node, propagate it from atria to ventricles via the atrioventricular node and bundle branches, and distribute it to the ventricular muscle mass via the Purkinje fibre network. The CCS thereby controls the rate and rhythm of alternating contractions of the atria and ventricles. CCS function is well conserved across vertebrates from fish to mammals, although particular specialized aspects of CCS function are found only in endotherms (mammals and birds). The development and homeostasis of the CCS involves transcriptional and regulatory networks that act in an embryonic-stage-dependent, tissue-dependent, and dose-dependent manner. This Review describes emerging data from animal studies, stem cell models, and genome-wide association studies that have provided novel insights into the transcriptional networks underlying CCS formation and function. How these insights can be applied to develop disease models and therapies is also discussed.
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22
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Abstract
Cardiogenesis is a complex developmental process involving multiple overlapping stages of cell fate specification, proliferation, differentiation, and morphogenesis. Precise spatiotemporal coordination between the different cardiogenic processes is ensured by intercellular signalling crosstalk and tissue-tissue interactions. Notch is an intercellular signalling pathway crucial for cell fate decisions during multicellular organismal development and is aptly positioned to coordinate the complex signalling crosstalk required for progressive cell lineage restriction during cardiogenesis. In this Review, we describe the role of Notch signalling and the crosstalk with other signalling pathways during the differentiation and patterning of the different cardiac tissues and in cardiac valve and ventricular chamber development. We examine how perturbation of Notch signalling activity is linked to congenital heart diseases affecting the neonate and adult, and discuss studies that shed light on the role of Notch signalling in heart regeneration and repair after injury.
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23
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Dupays L, Towers N, Wood S, David A, Stuckey DJ, Mohun T. Furin, a transcriptional target of NKX2-5, has an essential role in heart development and function. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212992. [PMID: 30840660 PMCID: PMC6402701 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The homeodomain transcription factor NKX2-5 is known to be essential for both normal heart development and for heart function. But little is yet known about the identities of its downstream effectors or their function during differentiation of cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs). We have used transgenic analysis and CRISPR-mediated ablation to identify a cardiac enhancer of the Furin gene. The Furin gene, encoding a proprotein convertase, is directly repressed by NKX2-5. Deletion of Furin in CPCs is embryonic lethal, with mutant hearts showing a range of abnormalities in the outflow tract. Those defects are associated with a reduction in proliferation and premature differentiation of the CPCs. Deletion of Furin in differentiated cardiomyocytes results in viable adult mutant mice showing an elongation of the PR interval, a phenotype that is consistent with the phenotype of mice and human mutant for Nkx2-5. Our results show that Furin mediate some aspects of Nkx2-5 function in the heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Dupays
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (LD); (TM)
| | - Norma Towers
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie Wood
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anna David
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel J. Stuckey
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy Mohun
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (LD); (TM)
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24
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Abstract
Spatiotemporal gene expression during cardiac development is a highly regulated process. Activation of key signaling pathways involved in electrophysiological programming, such as Notch and Wnt signaling, occurs in early cardiovascular development and these pathways are reactivated during pathologic remodeling. Direct targets of these signaling pathways have also been associated with inherited arrhythmias such as Brugada syndrome and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. In addition, evidence is emerging from animal models that reactivation of Notch and Wnt signaling during cardiac pathology may predispose to acquired arrhythmias, underscoring the importance of elucidating the transcriptional and epigenetic effects on cardiac gene regulation. Here, we highlight specific examples where gene expression dictates electrophysiological properties in both normal and diseased hearts.
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25
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Dergilev KV, Zubkova ЕS, Beloglazova IB, Menshikov МY, Parfyonova ЕV. Notch signal pathway - therapeutic target for regulation of reparative processes in the heart. TERAPEVT ARKH 2018; 90:112-121. [PMID: 30701843 DOI: 10.26442/00403660.2018.12.000014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Notch signaling pathway is a universal regulator of cell fate in embryogenesis and in maintaining the cell homeostasis of adult tissue. Through local cell-cell interactions, he controls neighboring cells behavior and determines their capacity for self-renewal, growth, survival, differentiation, and apoptosis. Recent studies have shown that the control of regenerative processes in the heart is also carried out with the participation of Notch system. At the heart of Notch regulates migration bone marrow progenitors and stimulates the proliferation of cardiomyocytes, cardiac progenitor cell activity, limits cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and fibrosis progression and stimulates angiogenesis. Notch signaling pathway may be regarded as a very promising target for the development of drugs for the stimulation of regeneration in the myocardium.
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Affiliation(s)
- K V Dergilev
- National Medical Research Center for Cardiology of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - Е S Zubkova
- National Medical Research Center for Cardiology of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - I B Beloglazova
- National Medical Research Center for Cardiology of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - М Yu Menshikov
- National Medical Research Center for Cardiology of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - Е V Parfyonova
- National Medical Research Center for Cardiology of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia.,M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
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26
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Li G, Khandekar A, Yin T, Hicks SC, Guo Q, Takahashi K, Lipovsky CE, Brumback BD, Rao PK, Weinheimer CJ, Rentschler SL. Differential Wnt-mediated programming and arrhythmogenesis in right versus left ventricles. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2018; 123:92-107. [PMID: 30193957 DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2018.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Several inherited arrhythmias, including Brugada syndrome and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, primarily affect the right ventricle and can lead to sudden cardiac death. Among many differences, right and left ventricular cardiomyocytes derive from distinct progenitors, prompting us to investigate how embryonic programming may contribute to chamber-specific conduction and arrhythmia susceptibility. Here, we show that developmental perturbation of Wnt signaling leads to chamber-specific transcriptional regulation of genes important in cardiac conduction that persists into adulthood. Transcriptional profiling of right versus left ventricles in mice deficient in Wnt transcriptional activity reveals global chamber differences, including genes regulating cardiac electrophysiology such as Gja1 and Scn5a. In addition, the transcriptional repressor Hey2, a gene associated with Brugada syndrome, is a direct target of Wnt signaling in the right ventricle only. These transcriptional changes lead to perturbed right ventricular cardiac conduction and cellular excitability. Ex vivo and in vivo stimulation of the right ventricle is sufficient to induce ventricular tachycardia in Wnt transcriptionally inactive hearts, while left ventricular stimulation has no effect. These data show that embryonic perturbation of Wnt signaling in cardiomyocytes leads to right ventricular arrhythmia susceptibility in the adult heart through chamber-specific regulation of genes regulating cellular electrophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Li
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Aditi Khandekar
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Tiankai Yin
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Stephanie C Hicks
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Qiusha Guo
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kentaro Takahashi
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Catherine E Lipovsky
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Brittany D Brumback
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Praveen K Rao
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Carla J Weinheimer
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Stacey L Rentschler
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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27
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Vicente Steijn R, Sedmera D, Blom NA, Jongbloed M, Kvasilova A, Nanka O. Apoptosis and epicardial contributions act as complementary factors in remodeling of the atrioventricular canal myocardium and atrioventricular conduction patterns in the embryonic chick heart. Dev Dyn 2018; 247:1033-1042. [PMID: 30152577 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Revised: 05/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During heart development, it has been hypothesized that apoptosis of atrioventricular canal myocardium and replacement by fibrous tissue derived from the epicardium are imperative to develop a mature atrioventricular conduction. To test this, apoptosis was blocked using an established caspase inhibitor and epicardial growth was delayed using the experimental epicardial inhibition model, both in chick embryonic hearts. RESULTS Chicken embryonic hearts were either treated with the peptide caspase inhibitor zVAD-fmk by intrapericardial injection in ovo (ED4) or underwent epicardial inhibition (ED2.5). Spontaneously beating embryonic hearts isolated (ED7-ED8) were then stained with voltage-sensitive dye Di-4-ANEPPS and imaged at 0.5-1 kHz. Apoptotic cells were quantified (ED5-ED7) by whole-mount LysoTracker Red and anti-active caspase 3 staining. zVAD-treated hearts showed a significantly increased proportion of immature (base to apex) activation patterns at ED8, including ventricular activation originating from the right atrioventricular junction, a pattern never observed in control hearts. zVAD-treated hearts showed decreased numbers of apoptotic cells in the atrioventricular canal myocardium at ED7. Hearts with delayed epicardial outgrowth showed also increased immature activation patterns at ED7.5 and ED8.5. However, the ventricular activation always originated from the left atrioventricular junction. Histological examination showed no changes in apoptosis rates, but a diminished presence of atrioventricular sulcus tissue compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS Apoptosis in the atrioventricular canal myocardium and controlled replacement of this myocardium by epicardially derived HCN4-/Trop1- sulcus tissue are essential determinants of mature ventricular activation pattern. Disruption can lead to persistence of accessory atrioventricular connections, forming a morphological substrate for ventricular pre-excitation. Developmental Dynamics 247:1033-1042, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Vicente Steijn
- Department of Anatomy & Embryology, Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - David Sedmera
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.,Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Nico A Blom
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Monique Jongbloed
- Department of Anatomy & Embryology, Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Alena Kvasilova
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Nanka
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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28
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Anderson RH, Mori S, Spicer DE, Sanchez-Quintana D, Jensen B. The Anatomy, Development, and Evolution of the Atrioventricular Conduction Axis. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2018; 5:jcdd5030044. [PMID: 30135383 PMCID: PMC6162790 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd5030044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
It is now well over 100 years since Sunao Tawara clarified the location of the axis of the specialised myocardium responsible for producing coordinated ventricular activation. Prior to that stellar publication, controversies had raged as to how many bundles crossed the place of the atrioventricular insulation as found in mammalian hearts, as well as the very existence of the bundle initially described by Wilhelm His Junior. It is, perhaps surprising that controversies continue, despite the multiple investigations that have taken place since the publication of Tawara’s monograph. For example, we are still unsure as to the precise substrates for the so-called slow and fast pathways into the atrioventricular node. Much has been done, nonetheless, to characterise the molecular make-up of the specialised pathways, and to clarify their mechanisms of development. Of this work itself, a significant part has emanated from the laboratory coordinated for a quarter of a century by Antoon FM Moorman. In this review, which joins the others in recognising the value of his contributions and collaborations, we review our current understanding of the anatomy, development, and evolution of the atrioventricular conduction axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert H Anderson
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4EP, UK.
| | - Shumpei Mori
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Hyogo, Japan.
| | - Diane E Spicer
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
| | - Damian Sanchez-Quintana
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain.
| | - Bjarke Jensen
- University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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29
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Hasdemir C, Juang JJM, Kose S, Kocabas U, Orman MN, Payzin S, Sahin H, Celen C, Ozcan EE, Chen CYJ, Gunduz R, Turan OE, Senol O, Burashnikov E, Antzelevitch C. Coexistence of atrioventricular accessory pathways and drug-induced type 1 Brugada pattern. PACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY: PACE 2018; 41:1078-1092. [PMID: 29953624 DOI: 10.1111/pace.13414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Atrial arrhythmias, particularly atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia, can coexist with drug-induced type 1 Brugada electrocardiogram (ECG) pattern (DI-Type1-BrP). The present study was designed to determine the prevalence of DI-Type1-BrP in patients with atrioventricular accessory pathways (AV-APs) and to investigate the clinical, electrocardiographic, electrophysiologic, and genetic characteristics of these patients. METHODS One-hundred twenty-four consecutive cases of AV-APs and 84 controls underwent an ajmaline challenge test to unmask DI-Type1-BrP. Genetic screening and analysis was performed in 55 of the cases (19 with and 36 without DI-Type1-BrP). RESULTS Patients with AV-APs were significantly more likely than controls to have a Type1-BrP unmasked (16.1 vs 4.8%, P = 0.012). At baseline, patients with DI-Type1-BrP had higher prevalence of chest pain, QR/rSr' pattern in V1 and QRS notching/slurring in V2 and aVL during preexcitation, rSr' pattern in V1 -V2 , and QRS notching/slurring in aVL during orthodromic atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT) compared to patients without DI-Type1-BrP. Abnormal QRS configuration (QRS notching/slurring and/or fragmentation) in V2 during preexcitation was present in all patients with DI-Type1 BrP. The prevalence of spontaneous preexcited atrial fibrillation (AF) and history of AF were similar (15% vs 18.3%, P = 0.726) in patients with and without DI-Type1-BrP, respectively. The prevalence of mutations in Brugada-susceptibility genes was higher (36.8% vs 8.3%, P = 0.02) in patients with DI-Type1-BrP compared to patients without DI-Type1-BrP. CONCLUSIONS DI-Type1-BrP is relatively common in patients with AV-APs. We identify 12-lead ECG characteristics during preexcitation and orthodromic AVRT that point to an underlying type1-BrP, portending an increased probability for development of malignant arrhythmias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Hasdemir
- Department of Cardiology, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | | | - Umut Kocabas
- Department of Cardiology, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Mehmet N Orman
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Serdar Payzin
- Department of Cardiology, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Hatice Sahin
- Department of Cardiology, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Candan Celen
- Department of Cardiology, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Emin E Ozcan
- Department of Cardiology, Dokuz Eylul University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Ching-Yu Julius Chen
- Cardiovascular Center and Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | | | | | | | - Charles Antzelevitch
- Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Wynnewood, PA, USA.,Lankenau Heart Institute, Wynnewood, PA, USA.,Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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30
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Direct Reprograming to Regenerate Myocardium and Repair Its Pacemaker and Conduction System. MEDICINES 2018; 5:medicines5020048. [PMID: 29867004 PMCID: PMC6023490 DOI: 10.3390/medicines5020048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The regenerative medicine field has been revolutionized by the direct conversion of one cell type to another by ectopic expression of lineage-specific transcription factors. The direct reprogramming of fibroblasts to induced cardiac myocytes (iCMs) by core cardiac transcription factors (Gata4, Mef2c, Tbx5) both in vitro and in vivo has paved the way in cardiac regeneration and repair. Several independent research groups have successfully reported the direct reprogramming of fibroblasts in injured myocardium to cardiac myocytes employing a variety of approaches that rely on transcription factors, small molecules, and micro RNAs (miRNAs). Recently, this technology has been considered for local repair of the pacemaker and the cardiac conduction system. To address this, we will first discuss the direct reprograming advancements in the setting of working myocardium regeneration, and then elaborate on how this technology can be applied to repair the cardiac pacemaker and the conduction system.
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31
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Woudstra OI, Ahuja S, Bokma JP, Bouma BJ, Mulder BJM, Christoffels VM. Origins and consequences of congenital heart defects affecting the right ventricle. Cardiovasc Res 2018; 113:1509-1520. [PMID: 28957538 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvx155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Congenital heart disease is a major health issue, accounting for a third of all congenital defects. Improved early surgical management has led to a growing population of adults with congenital heart disease, including patients with defects affecting the right ventricle, which are often classified as severe. Defects affecting the right ventricle often cause right ventricular volume or pressure overload and affected patients are at high risk for complications such as heart failure and sudden death. Recent insights into the developmental mechanisms and distinct developmental origins of the left ventricle, right ventricle, and the outflow tract have shed light on the common features and distinct problems arising in specific defects. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge on the development into the normal and congenitally malformed right heart and the clinical consequences of several congenital heart defects affecting the right ventricle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Odilia I Woudstra
- Department of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, 1055 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Suchit Ahuja
- Department of Anatomy, Embryology, and Physiology, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jouke P Bokma
- Department of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, 1055 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Netherlands Heart Institute, Moreelsepark 1, 3511 EP, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Berto J Bouma
- Department of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, 1055 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara J M Mulder
- Department of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, 1055 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Netherlands Heart Institute, Moreelsepark 1, 3511 EP, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent M Christoffels
- Department of Anatomy, Embryology, and Physiology, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Cencioni C, Spallotta F, Savoia M, Kuenne C, Guenther S, Re A, Wingert S, Rehage M, Sürün D, Siragusa M, Smith JG, Schnütgen F, von Melchner H, Rieger MA, Martelli F, Riccio A, Fleming I, Braun T, Zeiher AM, Farsetti A, Gaetano C. Zeb1-Hdac2-eNOS circuitry identifies early cardiovascular precursors in naive mouse embryonic stem cells. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1281. [PMID: 29599503 PMCID: PMC5876398 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03668-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) synthesis is a late event during differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC) and occurs after release from serum and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). Here we show that after release from pluripotency, a subpopulation of mESC, kept in the naive state by 2i/LIF, expresses endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and endogenously synthesizes NO. This eNOS/NO-positive subpopulation (ESNO+) expresses mesendodermal markers and is more efficient in the generation of cardiovascular precursors than eNOS/NO-negative cells. Mechanistically, production of endogenous NO triggers rapid Hdac2 S-nitrosylation, which reduces association of Hdac2 with the transcriptional repression factor Zeb1, allowing mesendodermal gene expression. In conclusion, our results suggest that the interaction between Zeb1, Hdac2, and eNOS is required for early mesendodermal differentiation of naive mESC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Cencioni
- Division of Cardiovascular Epigenetics, Department of Cardiology, Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. .,National Research Council, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology (IBCN), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143, Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesco Spallotta
- Division of Cardiovascular Epigenetics, Department of Cardiology, Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Matteo Savoia
- Division of Cardiovascular Epigenetics, Department of Cardiology, Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Institute of Medical Pathology, Università Cattolica di Roma, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Carsten Kuenne
- ECCPS Bioinformatics and deep sequencing platform, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Ludwigstrasse 43, 61231, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Stefan Guenther
- ECCPS Bioinformatics and deep sequencing platform, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Ludwigstrasse 43, 61231, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Agnese Re
- National Research Council, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology (IBCN), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Susanne Wingert
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Maike Rehage
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Duran Sürün
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mauro Siragusa
- Institute for Vascular Signalling, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jacob G Smith
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, Gower St, Kings Cross, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Frank Schnütgen
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Harald von Melchner
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Michael A Rieger
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Fabio Martelli
- Molecular Cardiology Laboratory, IRCCS-Policlinico San Donato, Via Morandi 30 San Donato Milanese, 20097, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonella Riccio
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, Gower St, Kings Cross, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Ingrid Fleming
- Institute for Vascular Signalling, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Thomas Braun
- Department of Cardiac Development and Remodeling, Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Ludwigstrasse 43, 61231, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Andreas M Zeiher
- Internal Medicine Clinic III, Department of Cardiology, Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Antonella Farsetti
- National Research Council, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology (IBCN), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143, Rome, Italy. .,Internal Medicine Clinic III, Department of Cardiology, Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Carlo Gaetano
- Division of Cardiovascular Epigenetics, Department of Cardiology, Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. .,Laboratorio di Epigenetica, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, Via Maugeri 4, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
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Cellular Physiology and Clinical Manifestations of Fascicular Arrhythmias in Normal Hearts. JACC Clin Electrophysiol 2017; 3:1343-1355. [PMID: 29759663 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacep.2017.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Revised: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Fascicular ventricular arrhythmias represent a spectrum of ventricular tachycardias dependent on the specialized conduction system. Although they are more common in structurally abnormal hearts, there is an increasing body of literature describing their role in normal hearts. In this review, the authors present data from both basic and clinical research that explore the current understanding of idiopathic fascicular ventricular arrhythmias. Evaluation of the cellular electrophysiology of the Purkinje cells shows clear evidence of enhanced automaticity and triggered activity as potential mechanisms of arrhythmias. Perhaps more importantly, heterogeneity in conduction system velocity and refractoriness of the left ventricular conduction system in animal models are in line with clinical descriptions of re-entrant fascicular arrhythmias in humans. Further advances in our understanding of the conduction system will help bridge the current gap between basic science and clinical fascicular arrhythmias.
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Qiao Y, Lipovsky C, Hicks S, Bhatnagar S, Li G, Khandekar A, Guzy R, Woo KV, Nichols CG, Efimov IR, Rentschler S. Transient Notch Activation Induces Long-Term Gene Expression Changes Leading to Sick Sinus Syndrome in Mice. Circ Res 2017; 121:549-563. [PMID: 28674041 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.116.310396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Revised: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Notch signaling programs cardiac conduction during development, and in the adult ventricle, injury-induced Notch reactivation initiates global transcriptional and epigenetic changes. OBJECTIVE To determine whether Notch reactivation may stably alter atrial ion channel gene expression and arrhythmia inducibility. METHODS AND RESULTS To model an injury response and determine the effects of Notch signaling on atrial electrophysiology, we transiently activate Notch signaling within adult myocardium using a doxycycline-inducible genetic system (inducible Notch intracellular domain [iNICD]). Significant heart rate slowing and frequent sinus pauses are observed in iNICD mice when compared with controls. iNICD mice have structurally normal atria and preserved sinus node architecture, but expression of key transcriptional regulators of sinus node and atrial conduction, including Nkx2-5 (NK2 homeobox 5), Tbx3, and Tbx5 are dysregulated. To determine whether the induced electrical changes are stable, we transiently activated Notch followed by a prolonged washout period and observed that, in addition to decreased heart rate, atrial conduction velocity is persistently slower than control. Consistent with conduction slowing, genes encoding molecular determinants of atrial conduction velocity, including Scn5a (Nav1.5) and Gja5 (connexin 40), are persistently downregulated long after a transient Notch pulse. Consistent with the reduction in Scn5a transcript, Notch induces global changes in the atrial action potential, including a reduced dVm/dtmax. In addition, programmed electrical stimulation near the murine pulmonary vein demonstrates increased susceptibility to atrial arrhythmias in mice where Notch has been transiently activated. Taken together, these results suggest that transient Notch activation persistently alters ion channel gene expression and atrial electrophysiology and predisposes to an arrhythmogenic substrate. CONCLUSIONS Our data provide evidence that Notch signaling regulates transcription factor and ion channel gene expression within adult atrial myocardium. Notch reactivation induces electrical changes, resulting in sinus bradycardia, sinus pauses, and a susceptibility to atrial arrhythmias, which contribute to a phenotype resembling sick sinus syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Qiao
- From the Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division (Y.Q., C.L., S.H., S.B., G.L., A.K., S.R.), Department of Biomedical Engineering (Y.Q., G.L., S.R.), Department of Developmental Biology (C.L., S.B., S.R.), Department of Pediatrics (K.V.W.), and Department of Cell Biology (C.G.N.), Washington University in St Louis, MO; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, IL (R.G.); and Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Science and Engineering Hall, Washington DC (Y.Q., I.R.E.)
| | - Catherine Lipovsky
- From the Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division (Y.Q., C.L., S.H., S.B., G.L., A.K., S.R.), Department of Biomedical Engineering (Y.Q., G.L., S.R.), Department of Developmental Biology (C.L., S.B., S.R.), Department of Pediatrics (K.V.W.), and Department of Cell Biology (C.G.N.), Washington University in St Louis, MO; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, IL (R.G.); and Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Science and Engineering Hall, Washington DC (Y.Q., I.R.E.)
| | - Stephanie Hicks
- From the Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division (Y.Q., C.L., S.H., S.B., G.L., A.K., S.R.), Department of Biomedical Engineering (Y.Q., G.L., S.R.), Department of Developmental Biology (C.L., S.B., S.R.), Department of Pediatrics (K.V.W.), and Department of Cell Biology (C.G.N.), Washington University in St Louis, MO; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, IL (R.G.); and Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Science and Engineering Hall, Washington DC (Y.Q., I.R.E.)
| | - Somya Bhatnagar
- From the Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division (Y.Q., C.L., S.H., S.B., G.L., A.K., S.R.), Department of Biomedical Engineering (Y.Q., G.L., S.R.), Department of Developmental Biology (C.L., S.B., S.R.), Department of Pediatrics (K.V.W.), and Department of Cell Biology (C.G.N.), Washington University in St Louis, MO; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, IL (R.G.); and Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Science and Engineering Hall, Washington DC (Y.Q., I.R.E.)
| | - Gang Li
- From the Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division (Y.Q., C.L., S.H., S.B., G.L., A.K., S.R.), Department of Biomedical Engineering (Y.Q., G.L., S.R.), Department of Developmental Biology (C.L., S.B., S.R.), Department of Pediatrics (K.V.W.), and Department of Cell Biology (C.G.N.), Washington University in St Louis, MO; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, IL (R.G.); and Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Science and Engineering Hall, Washington DC (Y.Q., I.R.E.)
| | - Aditi Khandekar
- From the Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division (Y.Q., C.L., S.H., S.B., G.L., A.K., S.R.), Department of Biomedical Engineering (Y.Q., G.L., S.R.), Department of Developmental Biology (C.L., S.B., S.R.), Department of Pediatrics (K.V.W.), and Department of Cell Biology (C.G.N.), Washington University in St Louis, MO; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, IL (R.G.); and Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Science and Engineering Hall, Washington DC (Y.Q., I.R.E.)
| | - Robert Guzy
- From the Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division (Y.Q., C.L., S.H., S.B., G.L., A.K., S.R.), Department of Biomedical Engineering (Y.Q., G.L., S.R.), Department of Developmental Biology (C.L., S.B., S.R.), Department of Pediatrics (K.V.W.), and Department of Cell Biology (C.G.N.), Washington University in St Louis, MO; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, IL (R.G.); and Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Science and Engineering Hall, Washington DC (Y.Q., I.R.E.)
| | - Kel Vin Woo
- From the Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division (Y.Q., C.L., S.H., S.B., G.L., A.K., S.R.), Department of Biomedical Engineering (Y.Q., G.L., S.R.), Department of Developmental Biology (C.L., S.B., S.R.), Department of Pediatrics (K.V.W.), and Department of Cell Biology (C.G.N.), Washington University in St Louis, MO; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, IL (R.G.); and Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Science and Engineering Hall, Washington DC (Y.Q., I.R.E.)
| | - Colin G Nichols
- From the Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division (Y.Q., C.L., S.H., S.B., G.L., A.K., S.R.), Department of Biomedical Engineering (Y.Q., G.L., S.R.), Department of Developmental Biology (C.L., S.B., S.R.), Department of Pediatrics (K.V.W.), and Department of Cell Biology (C.G.N.), Washington University in St Louis, MO; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, IL (R.G.); and Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Science and Engineering Hall, Washington DC (Y.Q., I.R.E.)
| | - Igor R Efimov
- From the Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division (Y.Q., C.L., S.H., S.B., G.L., A.K., S.R.), Department of Biomedical Engineering (Y.Q., G.L., S.R.), Department of Developmental Biology (C.L., S.B., S.R.), Department of Pediatrics (K.V.W.), and Department of Cell Biology (C.G.N.), Washington University in St Louis, MO; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, IL (R.G.); and Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Science and Engineering Hall, Washington DC (Y.Q., I.R.E.)
| | - Stacey Rentschler
- From the Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division (Y.Q., C.L., S.H., S.B., G.L., A.K., S.R.), Department of Biomedical Engineering (Y.Q., G.L., S.R.), Department of Developmental Biology (C.L., S.B., S.R.), Department of Pediatrics (K.V.W.), and Department of Cell Biology (C.G.N.), Washington University in St Louis, MO; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, IL (R.G.); and Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Science and Engineering Hall, Washington DC (Y.Q., I.R.E.).
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Abstract
The generation and propagation of the cardiac impulse is the central function of the cardiac conduction system (CCS). Impulse initiation occurs in nodal tissues that have high levels of automaticity, but slow conduction properties. Rapid impulse propagation is a feature of the ventricular conduction system, which is essential for synchronized contraction of the ventricular chambers. When functioning properly, the CCS produces ~2.4 billion heartbeats during a human lifetime and orchestrates the flow of cardiac impulses, designed to maximize cardiac output. Abnormal impulse initiation or propagation can result in brady- and tachy-arrhythmias, producing an array of symptoms, including syncope, heart failure or sudden cardiac death. Underlying the functional diversity of the CCS are gene regulatory networks that direct cell fate towards a nodal or a fast conduction gene program. In this review, we will discuss our current understanding of the transcriptional networks that dictate the components of the CCS, the growth factor-dependent signaling pathways that orchestrate some of these transcriptional hierarchies and the effect of aberrant transcription factor expression on mammalian conduction disease.
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36
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Khandekar A, Springer S, Wang W, Hicks S, Weinheimer C, Diaz-Trelles R, Nerbonne JM, Rentschler S. Notch-Mediated Epigenetic Regulation of Voltage-Gated Potassium Currents. Circ Res 2016; 119:1324-1338. [PMID: 27697822 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.116.309877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Revised: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Ventricular arrhythmias often arise from the Purkinje-myocyte junction and are a leading cause of sudden cardiac death. Notch activation reprograms cardiac myocytes to an induced Purkinje-like state characterized by prolonged action potential duration and expression of Purkinje-enriched genes. OBJECTIVE To understand the mechanism by which canonical Notch signaling causes action potential prolongation. METHODS AND RESULTS We find that endogenous Purkinje cells have reduced peak K+ current, Ito, and IK,slow when compared with ventricular myocytes. Consistent with partial reprogramming toward a Purkinje-like phenotype, Notch activation decreases peak outward K+ current density, as well as the outward K+ current components Ito,f and IK,slow. Gene expression studies in Notch-activated ventricles demonstrate upregulation of Purkinje-enriched genes Contactin-2 and Scn5a and downregulation of K+ channel subunit genes that contribute to Ito,f and IK,slow. In contrast, inactivation of Notch signaling results in increased cell size commensurate with increased K+ current amplitudes and mimics physiological hypertrophy. Notch-induced changes in K+ current density are regulated at least in part via transcriptional changes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrates dynamic RBP-J (recombination signal binding protein for immunoglobulin kappa J region) binding and loss of active histone marks on K+ channel subunit promoters with Notch activation, and similar transcriptional and epigenetic changes occur in a heart failure model. Interestingly, there is a differential response in Notch target gene expression and cellular electrophysiology in left versus right ventricular cardiac myocytes. CONCLUSIONS In summary, these findings demonstrate a novel mechanism for regulation of voltage-gated potassium currents in the setting of cardiac pathology and may provide a novel target for arrhythmia drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Khandekar
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Steven Springer
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Stephanie Hicks
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Carla Weinheimer
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | | | - Jeanne M Nerbonne
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.,Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Stacey Rentschler
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.,Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
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37
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Captur G, Wilson R, Bennett MF, Luxán G, Nasis A, de la Pompa JL, Moon JC, Mohun TJ. Morphogenesis of myocardial trabeculae in the mouse embryo. J Anat 2016; 229:314-25. [PMID: 27020702 PMCID: PMC4948049 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Formation of trabeculae in the embryonic heart and the remodelling that occurs prior to birth is a conspicuous, but poorly understood, feature of vertebrate cardiogenesis. Mutations disrupting trabecular development in the mouse are frequently embryonic lethal, testifying to the importance of the trabeculae, and aberrant trabecular structure is associated with several human cardiac pathologies. Here, trabecular architecture in the developing mouse embryo has been analysed using high-resolution episcopic microscopy (HREM) and three-dimensional (3D) modelling. This study shows that at all stages from mid-gestation to birth, the ventricular trabeculae comprise a complex meshwork of myocardial strands. Such an arrangement defies conventional methods of measurement, and an approach based upon fractal algorithms has been used to provide an objective measure of trabecular complexity. The extent of trabeculation as it changes along the length of left and right ventricles has been quantified, and the changes that occur from formation of the four-chambered heart until shortly before birth have been mapped. This approach not only measures qualitative features evident from visual inspection of 3D models, but also detects subtle, consistent and regionally localised differences that distinguish each ventricle and its developmental stage. Finally, the combination of HREM imaging and fractal analysis has been applied to analyse changes in embryonic heart structure in a genetic mouse model in which trabeculation is deranged. It is shown that myocardial deletion of the Notch pathway component Mib1 (Mib1(flox/flox) ; cTnT-cre) results in a complex array of abnormalities affecting trabeculae and other parts of the heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Captur
- Institute of Cardiovascular ScienceUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- The Barts Heart CentreBarts Health NHS TrustLondonUK
| | - Robert Wilson
- The Francis Crick Institute Mill Hill LaboratoryThe RidgewayLondonUK
| | - Michael F Bennett
- The Francis Crick Institute Mill Hill LaboratoryThe RidgewayLondonUK
| | - Guillermo Luxán
- Intercellular Signalling in Cardiovascular Development & Disease LaboratoryCentro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC)Melchor Fernández AlmagroMadridSpain
| | - Arthur Nasis
- Monash Cardiovascular Research CentreMonashHEARTMonash UniversityClaytonAustralia
| | - José Luis de la Pompa
- Intercellular Signalling in Cardiovascular Development & Disease LaboratoryCentro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC)Melchor Fernández AlmagroMadridSpain
| | - James C Moon
- Institute of Cardiovascular ScienceUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- The Barts Heart CentreBarts Health NHS TrustLondonUK
| | - Timothy J Mohun
- The Francis Crick Institute Mill Hill LaboratoryThe RidgewayLondonUK
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38
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Han P, Bloomekatz J, Ren J, Zhang R, Grinstein JD, Zhao L, Burns CG, Burns CE, Anderson RM, Chi NC. Coordinating cardiomyocyte interactions to direct ventricular chamber morphogenesis. Nature 2016; 534:700-4. [PMID: 27357797 PMCID: PMC5330678 DOI: 10.1038/nature18310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Many organs are composed of complex tissue walls that are structurally organized to optimize organ function. In particular, the ventricular myocardial wall of the heart is comprised of an outer compact layer that concentrically encircles the ridge-like inner trabecular layer. Although disruption in the morphogenesis of this myocardial wall can lead to various forms of congenital heart disease (CHD)1 and non-compaction cardiomyopathies2, it remains unclear how embryonic cardiomyocytes assemble to form ventricular wall layers of appropriate spatial dimensions and myocardial mass. Here, we utilize advanced genetic and imaging tools in zebrafish to reveal an interplay between myocardial Notch and Erbb2 signaling that directs the spatial allocation of myocardial cells to their proper morphologic positions in the ventricular wall. Although previous studies have shown that endocardial Notch signaling non-cell-autonomously promotes myocardial trabeculation through Erbb2 and BMP signaling3, we discover that distinct ventricular cardiomyocyte clusters exhibit myocardial Notch activity that cell-autonomously inhibits Erbb2 signaling and prevents cardiomyocyte sprouting and trabeculation. Myocardial-specific Notch inactivation leads to ventricles of reduced size and increased wall thickness due to excessive trabeculae, whereas widespread myocardial Notch activity results in ventricles of increased size with a single-cell thick wall but no trabeculae. Notably, this myocardial Notch signaling is activated non-cell-autonomously by neighboring Erbb2-activated cardiomyocytes that sprout and form nascent trabeculae. Thus, these findings support an interactive cellular feedback process that guides the assembly of cardiomyocytes to morphologically create the ventricular myocardial wall and more broadly provides insight into the cellular dynamics of how diverse cell lineages organize to create form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peidong Han
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Joshua Bloomekatz
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Jie Ren
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Ruilin Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Jonathan D Grinstein
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Long Zhao
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - C Geoffrey Burns
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Caroline E Burns
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Ryan M Anderson
- Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA
| | - Neil C Chi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.,Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
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39
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Human Organotypic Cultured Cardiac Slices: New Platform For High Throughput Preclinical Human Trials. Sci Rep 2016; 6:28798. [PMID: 27356882 PMCID: PMC4928074 DOI: 10.1038/srep28798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Translation of novel therapies from bench to bedside is hampered by profound disparities between animal and human genetics and physiology. The ability to test for efficacy and cardiotoxicity in a clinically relevant human model system would enable more rapid therapy development. We have developed a preclinical platform for validation of new therapies in human heart tissue using organotypic slices isolated from donor and end-stage failing hearts. A major advantage of the slices when compared with human iPS-derived cardiomyocytes is that native tissue architecture and extracellular matrix are preserved, thereby allowing investigation of multi-cellular physiology in normal or diseased myocardium. To validate this model, we used optical mapping of transmembrane potential and calcium transients. We found that normal human electrophysiology is preserved in slice preparations when compared with intact hearts, including slices obtained from the region of the sinus node. Physiology is maintained in slices during culture, enabling testing the acute and chronic effects of pharmacological, gene, cell, optogenetic, device, and other therapies. This methodology offers a powerful high-throughput platform for assessing the physiological response of the human heart to disease and novel putative therapies.
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40
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van Weerd JH, Christoffels VM. The formation and function of the cardiac conduction system. Development 2016; 143:197-210. [PMID: 26786210 DOI: 10.1242/dev.124883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The cardiac conduction system (CCS) consists of distinctive components that initiate and conduct the electrical impulse required for the coordinated contraction of the cardiac chambers. CCS development involves complex regulatory networks that act in stage-, tissue- and dose-dependent manners, and recent findings indicate that the activity of these networks is sensitive to common genetic variants associated with cardiac arrhythmias. Here, we review how these findings have provided novel insights into the regulatory mechanisms and transcriptional networks underlying CCS formation and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Hendrik van Weerd
- Department of Anatomy, Embryology & Physiology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent M Christoffels
- Department of Anatomy, Embryology & Physiology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
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Watanabe M, Rollins AM, Polo-Parada L, Ma P, Gu S, Jenkins MW. Probing the Electrophysiology of the Developing Heart. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2016; 3:jcdd3010010. [PMID: 29367561 PMCID: PMC5715694 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd3010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Many diseases that result in dysfunction and dysmorphology of the heart originate in the embryo. However, the embryonic heart presents a challenging subject for study: especially challenging is its electrophysiology. Electrophysiological maturation of the embryonic heart without disturbing its physiological function requires the creation and deployment of novel technologies along with the use of classical techniques on a range of animal models. Each tool has its strengths and limitations and has contributed to making key discoveries to expand our understanding of cardiac development. Further progress in understanding the mechanisms that regulate the normal and abnormal development of the electrophysiology of the heart requires integration of this functional information with the more extensively elucidated structural and molecular changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiko Watanabe
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
- Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
| | - Andrew M Rollins
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
| | - Luis Polo-Parada
- Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65201, USA.
- Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65201, USA.
| | - Pei Ma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
| | - Shi Gu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
| | - Michael W Jenkins
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
- Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
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Chiplunkar A, Rentschler S. Notch Activation Associated with Poor Outcomes in Heart Failure: Is it Harmful, or not Enough of a Good Thing? J Card Fail 2016; 22:224-5. [PMID: 26777760 PMCID: PMC7880537 DOI: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2016.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Revised: 01/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Chiplunkar
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, United States
| | - Stacey Rentschler
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, United States; Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, United States; Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, United States.
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43
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Liang X, Zhang Q, Cattaneo P, Zhuang S, Gong X, Spann NJ, Jiang C, Cao X, Zhao X, Zhang X, Bu L, Wang G, Chen HSV, Zhuang T, Yan J, Geng P, Luo L, Banerjee I, Chen Y, Glass CK, Zambon AC, Chen J, Sun Y, Evans SM. Transcription factor ISL1 is essential for pacemaker development and function. J Clin Invest 2015; 125:3256-68. [PMID: 26193633 DOI: 10.1172/jci68257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 06/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The sinoatrial node (SAN) maintains a rhythmic heartbeat; therefore, a better understanding of factors that drive SAN development and function is crucial to generation of potential therapies, such as biological pacemakers, for sinus arrhythmias. Here, we determined that the LIM homeodomain transcription factor ISL1 plays a key role in survival, proliferation, and function of pacemaker cells throughout development. Analysis of several Isl1 mutant mouse lines, including animals harboring an SAN-specific Isl1 deletion, revealed that ISL1 within SAN is a requirement for early embryonic viability. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses of FACS-purified cells from ISL1-deficient SANs revealed that a number of genes critical for SAN function, including those encoding transcription factors and ion channels, were downstream of ISL1. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays performed with anti-ISL1 antibodies and chromatin extracts from FACS-purified SAN cells demonstrated that ISL1 directly binds genomic regions within several genes required for normal pacemaker function, including subunits of the L-type calcium channel, Ank2, and Tbx3. Other genes implicated in abnormal heart rhythm in humans were also direct ISL1 targets. Together, our results demonstrate that ISL1 regulates approximately one-third of SAN-specific genes, indicate that a combination of ISL1 and other SAN transcription factors could be utilized to generate pacemaker cells, and suggest ISL1 mutations may underlie sick sinus syndrome.
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Wei K, Díaz-Trelles R, Liu Q, Diez-Cuñado M, Scimia MC, Cai W, Sawada J, Komatsu M, Boyle JJ, Zhou B, Ruiz-Lozano P, Mercola M. Developmental origin of age-related coronary artery disease. Cardiovasc Res 2015; 107:287-94. [PMID: 26054850 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvv167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Age and injury cause structural and functional changes in coronary artery smooth muscle cells (caSMCs) that influence the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease. Although paracrine signalling is widely believed to drive phenotypic changes in caSMCs, here we show that developmental origin within the fetal epicardium can have a profound effect as well. METHODS AND RESULTS Fluorescent dye and transgene pulse-labelling techniques in mice revealed that the majority of caSMCs are derived from Wt1(+), Gata5-Cre(+) cells that migrate before E12.5, whereas a minority of cells are derived from a later-emigrating, Wt1(+), Gata5-Cre(-) population. We functionally evaluated the influence of early emigrating cells on coronary artery development and disease by Gata5-Cre excision of Rbpj, which prevents their contribution to coronary artery smooth muscle cells. Ablation of the Gata5-Cre(+) population resulted in coronary arteries consisting solely of Gata5-Cre(-) caSMCs. These coronary arteries appeared normal into early adulthood; however, by 5-8 months of age, they became progressively fibrotic, lost the adventitial outer elastin layer, were dysfunctional and leaky, and animals showed early mortality. CONCLUSION Taken together, these data reveal heterogeneity in the fetal epicardium that is linked to coronary artery integrity, and that distortion of the coronaries epicardial origin predisposes to adult onset disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Wei
- Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 6400 Sanger Road, Orlando, FL 32827, USA Department of Bioengineering, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ramon Díaz-Trelles
- Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 6400 Sanger Road, Orlando, FL 32827, USA Department of Bioengineering, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Qiaozhen Liu
- Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Marta Diez-Cuñado
- Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 6400 Sanger Road, Orlando, FL 32827, USA Department of Bioengineering, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Dr, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Maria-Cecilia Scimia
- Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 6400 Sanger Road, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - Wenqing Cai
- Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 6400 Sanger Road, Orlando, FL 32827, USA Department of Bioengineering, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Junko Sawada
- Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 6400 Sanger Road, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - Masanobu Komatsu
- Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 6400 Sanger Road, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - Joseph J Boyle
- Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
| | - Bin Zhou
- Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Pilar Ruiz-Lozano
- Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Dr, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mark Mercola
- Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 6400 Sanger Road, Orlando, FL 32827, USA Department of Bioengineering, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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Gu S, Wang YT, Ma P, Werdich AA, Rollins AM, Jenkins MW. Mapping conduction velocity of early embryonic hearts with a robust fitting algorithm. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2015; 6:2138-57. [PMID: 26114034 PMCID: PMC4473749 DOI: 10.1364/boe.6.002138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2015] [Revised: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Cardiac conduction maturation is an important and integral component of heart development. Optical mapping with voltage-sensitive dyes allows sensitive measurements of electrophysiological signals over the entire heart. However, accurate measurements of conduction velocity during early cardiac development is typically hindered by low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) measurements of action potentials. Here, we present a novel image processing approach based on least squares optimizations, which enables high-resolution, low-noise conduction velocity mapping of smaller tubular hearts. First, the action potential trace measured at each pixel is fit to a curve consisting of two cumulative normal distribution functions. Then, the activation time at each pixel is determined based on the fit, and the spatial gradient of activation time is determined with a two-dimensional (2D) linear fit over a square-shaped window. The size of the window is adaptively enlarged until the gradients can be determined within a preset precision. Finally, the conduction velocity is calculated based on the activation time gradient, and further corrected for three-dimensional (3D) geometry that can be obtained by optical coherence tomography (OCT). We validated the approach using published activation potential traces based on computer simulations. We further validated the method by adding artificially generated noise to the signal to simulate various SNR conditions using a curved simulated image (digital phantom) that resembles a tubular heart. This method proved to be robust, even at very low SNR conditions (SNR = 2-5). We also established an empirical equation to estimate the maximum conduction velocity that can be accurately measured under different conditions (e.g. sampling rate, SNR, and pixel size). Finally, we demonstrated high-resolution conduction velocity maps of the quail embryonic heart at a looping stage of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Gu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Yves T Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44016, USA
| | - Pei Ma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Andreas A Werdich
- Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Andrew M Rollins
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Michael W Jenkins
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44016, USA
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46
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Meyers JD, Jay PY, Rentschler S. Reprogramming the conduction system: Onward toward a biological pacemaker. Trends Cardiovasc Med 2015; 26:14-20. [PMID: 25937044 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcm.2015.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Revised: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Diseases of the cardiac conduction system can be debilitating and deadly. Electronic pacemakers are incredibly effective in the treatment of sinus and AV node dysfunction, yet there remain important limitations and complications. These issues have driven interest in the development of a biological pacemaker. Here, we review experimental progress in animal models and discuss future directions, with a focus on reprogramming endogenous cells in the heart to treat defects of rhythm and conduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason D Meyers
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St Louis, MO
| | - Patrick Y Jay
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis Children's Hospital, St Louis, MO; Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis Children's Hospital, St Louis, MO
| | - Stacey Rentschler
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St Louis, MO; Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO.
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47
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Sedmera D, Kockova R, Vostarek F, Raddatz E. Arrhythmias in the developing heart. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2015; 213:303-20. [PMID: 25363044 DOI: 10.1111/apha.12418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Revised: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 10/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias increases gradually with age; however, specific rhythm disturbances can appear even prior to birth and markedly affect foetal development. Relatively little is known about these disorders, chiefly because of their relative rarity and difficulty in diagnosis. In this review, we cover the most common forms found in human pathology, specifically congenital heart block, pre-excitation, extrasystoles and long QT syndrome. In addition, we cover pertinent literature data from prenatal animal models, providing a glimpse into pathogenesis of arrhythmias and possible strategies for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Sedmera
- Institute of Anatomy; First Faculty of Medicine; Charles University; Prague Czech Republic
- Institute of Physiology; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Prague Czech Republic
| | - R. Kockova
- Institute of Physiology; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Prague Czech Republic
- Department of Cardiology; Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine; Prague Czech Republic
| | - F. Vostarek
- Institute of Physiology; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Prague Czech Republic
| | - E. Raddatz
- Department of Physiology; Faculty of Biology and Medicine; University of Lausanne; Lausanne Switzerland
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48
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Affiliation(s)
- Chulan Kwon
- From the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Gordon F Tomaselli
- From the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
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49
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Liu F, Lu MM, Patel NN, Schillinger KJ, Wang T, Patel VV. GATA-Binding Factor 6 Contributes to Atrioventricular Node Development and Function. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 8:284-93. [PMID: 25613430 DOI: 10.1161/circgenetics.113.000587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2013] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several transcription factors regulate cardiac conduction system (CCS) development and function but the role of each in specifying distinct CCS components remains unclear. GATA-binding factor 6 (GATA6) is a zinc-finger transcription factor that is critical for patterning the cardiovascular system. However, the role of GATA6 in the embryonic heart and CCS has never been shown. METHODS AND RESULTS We report that Gata6 is expressed abundantly in the proximal CCS during midgestation in mice. Myocardial-specific deletion of the carboxyl zinc-finger of Gata6 induces loss of hyperpolarizing cyclic nucleotide-gated channel, subtype 4 staining in the compact atrioventricular node with some retention of hyperpolarizing cyclic nucleotide-gated channel, subtype 4 staining in the atrioventricular bundle, but has no significant effect on the connexin-40-positive bundle branches. Furthermore, myocardial-specific deletion of the carboxyl zinc-finger of Gata6 alters atrioventricular conduction in postnatal life as assessed by surface and invasive electrophysiological evaluation, as well as decreasing the number of ventricular myocytes and inducing compensatory myocyte hypertrophy. Myocardial-specific deletion of the carboxyl zinc-finger of Gata6 is also associated with downregulation of the transcriptional repressor ID2 and the cardiac sodium-calcium exchanger NCX1 in the proximal CCS, where GATA6 transactivates both of these factors. Finally, carboxyl zinc-finger deletion of Gata6 reduces cell-cycle exit of TBX3+ myocytes in the developing atrioventricular bundle during the period of atrioventricular node specification, which results in fewer TBX3+ cells in the proximal CCS of mature mutant mice. CONCLUSIONS GATA6 contributes to the development and postnatal function of the murine atrioventricular node by promoting cell-cycle exit of specified cardiomyocytes toward a conduction system lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Liu
- From the Penn Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (F.L., M.M.L., N.N.P., K.J.S., T.W.); and Department of Physiology, Section of Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology & Cardiovascular Research Center, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (V.V.P.)
| | - Min Min Lu
- From the Penn Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (F.L., M.M.L., N.N.P., K.J.S., T.W.); and Department of Physiology, Section of Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology & Cardiovascular Research Center, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (V.V.P.)
| | - Neil N Patel
- From the Penn Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (F.L., M.M.L., N.N.P., K.J.S., T.W.); and Department of Physiology, Section of Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology & Cardiovascular Research Center, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (V.V.P.)
| | - Kurt J Schillinger
- From the Penn Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (F.L., M.M.L., N.N.P., K.J.S., T.W.); and Department of Physiology, Section of Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology & Cardiovascular Research Center, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (V.V.P.)
| | - Tao Wang
- From the Penn Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (F.L., M.M.L., N.N.P., K.J.S., T.W.); and Department of Physiology, Section of Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology & Cardiovascular Research Center, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (V.V.P.)
| | - Vickas V Patel
- From the Penn Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (F.L., M.M.L., N.N.P., K.J.S., T.W.); and Department of Physiology, Section of Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology & Cardiovascular Research Center, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (V.V.P.).
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50
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Abstract
The cardiac conduction system coordinates electrical activation through a series of interconnected structures, including the atrioventricular node (AVN), the central connection point that delays impulse propagation to optimize cardiac performance. Although recent studies have uncovered important molecular details of AVN formation, relatively little is known about the transcriptional mechanisms that regulate AV delay, the primary function of the mature AVN. We identify here MyoR as a novel transcription factor expressed in Cx30.2(+) cells of the AVN. We show that MyoR specifically inhibits a Cx30.2 enhancer required for AVN-specific gene expression. Furthermore, we demonstrate that MyoR interacts directly with Gata4 to mediate transcriptional repression. Our studies reveal that MyoR contains two nonequivalent repression domains. While the MyoR C-terminal repression domain inhibits transcription in a context-dependent manner, the N-terminal repression domain can function in a heterologous context to convert the Hand2 activator into a repressor. In addition, we show that genetic deletion of MyoR in mice increases Cx30.2 expression by 50% and prolongs AV delay by 13%. Taken together, we conclude that MyoR modulates a Gata4-dependent regulatory circuit that establishes proper AV delay, and these findings may have wider implications for the variability of cardiac rhythm observed in the general population.
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