Cooperative regulation of Zhx1 and hnRNPA1 drives the cardiac progenitor-specific transcriptional activation during cardiomyocyte differentiation.

ABSTRACT: The zinc finger proteins (ZNFs) mediated transcriptional regulation is critical for cell fate transition. However, it is still unclear how the ZNFs realize their specific regulatory roles in the stage-specific determination of cardiomyocyte differentiation. Here, we reported that the zinc fingers and homeoboxes 1 (Zhx1) protein, transiently expressed during the cell fate transition from mesoderm to cardiac progenitors, was indispensable for the proper cardiomyocyte differentiation of mouse and human embryonic stem cells. Moreover, Zhx1 majorly promoted the specification of cardiac progenitors via interacting with hnRNPA1 and co-activated the transcription of a wide range of genes. In-depth mechanistic studies showed that Zhx1 was bound with hnRNPA1 by the amino acid residues (Thr111-His120

SUBMITTER: Chen Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10349095 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature