Casz1 is required for cardiomyocyte G1-to-S phase progression during mammalian cardiac development.

ABSTRACT: Organ growth occurs through the integration of external growth signals during the G1 phase of the cell cycle to initiate DNA replication. Although numerous growth factor signals have been shown to be required for the proliferation of cardiomyocytes, genetic studies have only identified a very limited number of transcription factors that act to regulate the entry of cardiomyocytes into S phase. Here, we report that the cardiac para-zinc-finger protein CASZ1 is expressed in murine cardiomyocytes. Genetic fate mapping with an inducible Casz1 allele demonstrates that CASZ1-expressing cells give rise to cardiomyocytes in the first and second heart fields. We show through the generation of a cardiac conditional null mutation that Casz1 is essential for the proliferation of cardiomyocytes in both

SUBMITTER: Dorr KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4460738 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature