Extracellular matrix downregulation in the Drosophila heart preserves contractile function and improves lifespan.

ABSTRACT: Aging is associated with extensive remodeling of the heart, including basement membrane (BM) components that surround cardiomyocytes. Remodeling is thought to impair cardiac mechanotransduction, but the contribution of specific BM components to age-related lateral communication between cardiomyocytes is unclear. Using a genetically tractable, rapidly aging model with sufficient cardiac genetic homology and morphology, e.g. Drosophila melanogaster, we observed differential regulation of BM collagens between laboratory strains, correlating with changes in muscle physiology leading to cardiac dysfunction. Therefore, we sought to understand the extent to which BM proteins modulate contractile function during aging. Cardiac-restricted knockdown of ECM genes Pericardin, Laminin A, and Viking in

SUBMITTER: Sessions AO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5405015 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature