Transcriptome transfer provides a model for understanding the phenotype of cardiomyocytes.

ABSTRACT: We show that the transfer of the adult ventricular myocyte (AVM) transcriptome into either a fibroblast or an astrocyte converts the host cell into a cardiomyocyte. Transcriptome-effected cardiomyocytes (tCardiomyocytes) display morphologies, immunocytochemical properties, and expression profiles of postnatal cardiomyocytes. Cell morphology analysis shows that tCardiomyoctes are elongated and have a similar length-to-width ratio as AVMs. These global phenotypic changes occur in a time-dependent manner and confer electroexcitability to the tCardiomyocytes. tCardiomyocyte generation does not require continuous overexpression of specific transcription factors; for example, the expression level of transcription factor Mef2c is higher in tCardiomyocytes than in fibroblasts, but similar in tCard

SUBMITTER: Kim TK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3141937 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature