Project description:Adult-onset diseases can be associated with in utero events, but mechanisms for this remain unknown. The polycomb histone methyltransferase, Ezh2, stabilizes transcription by depositing repressive marks during development that persist into adulthood, but its function in postnatal organ homeostasis is unknown. We show that Ezh2 stabilizes cardiac gene expression and prevents cardiac pathology by repressing the homeodomain transcription factor Six1, which functions in cardiac progenitors but is stably silenced upon cardiac differentiation. Ezh2 deletion in cardiac progenitors caused postnatal myocardial pathology and destabilized cardiac gene expression with activation of Six1-dependent skeletal muscle genes. Six1 induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and skeletal muscle gene expression. Furthermore, genetically reducing Six1 levels rescued the pathology of Ezh2-deficient hearts. Thus, Ezh2-mediated repression of Six1 in differentiating cardiac progenitors is essential for stable postnatal heart gene expression and homeostasis. Our results suggest that epigenetic dysregulation in embryonic progenitor cells predisposes to adult disease and dysregulated stress responses. Four samples were analyzed. RNA was obtained from ventricles from two wild type and two Ezh2-deficient hearts.
Project description:Adult-onset diseases can be associated with in utero events, but mechanisms for such temporally distant dysregulation of organ function remain unknown. The polycomb histone methyltransferase, Ezh2, stabilizes transcription by depositing repressive histone marks during development that persist into adulthood, but the function of Ezh2-mediated transcriptional stability in postnatal organ homeostasis is not understood. Here, we show that Ezh2 stabilizes the postnatal cardiac gene expression program and prevents cardiac pathology, primarily by repressing the homeodomain transcription factor Six1 in differentiating cardiac progenitors. Loss of Ezh2 in embryonic cardiac progenitors, but not in differentiated cardiomyocytes, resulted in postnatal cardiac pathology, including cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and fibrosis. Loss of Ezh2 caused broad derepression of skeletal muscle genes, including the homeodomain transcription factor Six1, which is expressed in cardiac progenitors but is normally silenced upon cardiac differentiation. Many of the deregulated genes are direct Six1 targets, implying a critical requirement for stable repression of Six1 in cardiac myocytes. Indeed, upon de-repression, Six1 promotes cardiac pathology, as it was sufficient to induce cardiac hypertrophy. Furthermore, genetic reduction of Six1 levels almost completely rescued the pathology of Ezh2-deficient hearts. Thus, repression of a single transcription factor in cardiac progenitors by Ezh2 is essential for stability of the adult heart gene expression program and homeostasis. Our results suggest that epigenetic dysregulation during discrete developmental windows can predispose to adult disease and dysregulated stress responses. Global gene expression profiles of Ezh2-deficient hearts. The right ventricle and the interventricular septum of five wild type (Ezh2f/f) and four Ezh2-deficient (Ezh2f/f;Mef2cAHF::Cre) mice were analyzed.
Project description:The main active metabolite of Vitamin A, all-trans retinoic acid (RA), is responsible for proper cellular function and tissue organization. The role of RA has been extensively studied in development, but there is limited research on its role in the adult heart. Cellular retinol-binding protein, type 1 (CRBP1), encoded by retinol-binding protein, type 1 (Rbp1), regulates RA homeostasis by delivering vitamin A to enzymes for RA synthesis. An animal model of CRBP1 deficiency, such as Rbp1–/– mice, can provide insight into disrupted RA biosynthesis and signaling. In this work, a multi-omics approach was used to characterize the effect of CRBP1 loss. Retinoid homeostasis was disrupted in Rbp1-/- mouse heart tissue, as seen by a 33% and 24% decrease in RA levels in the left and right ventricles, respectively, compared to wild-type mice (WT). To further inform on the effect of disrupted RA homeostasis, we conducted high-throughput targeted metabolomics. A total of 222 metabolite and metabolite combinations were analyzed, with 33 having differential expression between Rbp1-/- and WT hearts. Additionally, we performed global proteome profiling to further characterize the impact of CRBP1 loss in adult mouse hearts. More than 2,606 unique proteins were identified, with 340 proteins having differential expression between Rbp1-/- and WT hearts. Pathway analysis performed on metabolomic and proteomic data revealed pathways related to cellular metabolism and cardiac metabolism were the most disrupted in Rbp1-/- mice. Together, these studies provide data for establishing the effect of dysregulated RA signaling in the adult mouse heart.
Project description:Background: BMPER, an orthologue of Drosophila melanogaster crossveinless-2, is a secreted factor that regulates BMP activity in endothelial cell precursors and during early cardiomyocyte differentiation. Although previously described in the heart, the role of Bmper in cardiac development and function remained unknown. Methods: BMPER deficient hearts were phenotyped histologically and functionally using echocardiography and Doppler analysis. Since BMPER -/- mice die perinatally, BMPER +/- mice were then challenged to pressure overload induced cardiac hypertrophy and hind limb ischemia to determine changes in angiogensis and regulation of cardiomyocyte size. Results: We identified for the first time the cardiac phenotype associated with BMPER haploinsufficiency. BMPER mRNA and protein are present in the heart during cardiac development through at least E14.5 but is lost by E18.5. BMPER +/- ventricles are thinner and less compact than sibling wild-type hearts. In the adult, BMPER +/- hearts present with decreased anterior and posterior wall thickness, decreased cardiomyocyte size, and an increase in cardiac vessel density. Despite these changes, BMPER +/- mice respond to pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy challenge largely to the same extent as wild-type mice. Conclusion: BMPER appears to play a role in regulating both vessel density and cardiac development in vivo; however, BMPER haploinsufficiency does not result in marked effects on cardiac function or adaptation to pressure overload hypertrophy. Unpaired, two-condition experiment, wild-type vs BMPER+/- adult hearts. Biological replicates: 4 per condition.
Project description:Atria and ventricles exhibit distinct molecular profiles that produce structural and functional differences between the two cardiac compartments. However, factors that determine these differences remain largely undefined. Cardiomyocyte-specific COUP- TFII ablation produces ventricularized atria that exhibit ventricle-like action potentials, increased cardiomyocyte size, and development of extensive T-tubules. We used microarrays to examine the molecular profile of cardiomyocyte-specific COUP-TFII knockout adult atria in comparison with that of normal atria. We extracted RNA from mutant right atria, control right atria and control ventricles from 2 months old adult mice, followed by gene expression profiling using Affymetrix microarrays.
Project description:Left and right heart ventricles of adult male mice were profiled to determine the differences in gene expression, control, coordination and signaling fabrics Two-sides (L= left, R = right) gene expression profiling experiment in adult mouse male (M) ventricles (V). 4 biological replicates: MVL1-4, MVR1-4.
Project description:Left and right heart ventricles of adult male mice were profiled to determine the differences in gene expression, control, coordination and signaling fabrics
Project description:Several inherited arrhythmias primarily affect the right ventricle, including Brugada syndrome and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, however the molecular basis of this chamber predilection is not well understood. Right and left ventricular cardiomyocytes derive from distinct progenitor populations. Here, we show that Hrt2, a gene associated with Brugada syndrome, is a direct target of Wnt signaling in the right ventricle and Notch signaling in the left ventricle. Perturbations of Wnt and Notch signaling during development and in the adult lead to chamber-specific transcriptional effects on Hrt2 expression associated with distinct binding patterns to Hrt2 enhancers. Differential enhancer binding is present at early developmental stages when the signaling pathways are active and persists into adulthood. Consistent with chamber-specific regulation, mice deficient in Wnt transcriptional activity dysregulate only a small fraction of transcripts in common between ventricles. Wnt target gen es important for cellular electrophysiology are differentially regulated, resulting in perturbed cardiac conduction and cellular electrophysiological parameters only within the right ventricle. Ex vivo and in vivo physiologic stimulation of the right ventricle is sufficient to induce ventricular tachycardia in Wnt transcriptionally inactive hearts, while left ventricular stimulation has no effect. Taken together, these data delineate mechanisms underlying ventricular-specific arrhythmia susceptibility due to embryonic programming.
Project description:Several inherited arrhythmias primarily affect the right ventricle, including Brugada syndrome and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, however the molecular basis of this chamber predilection is not well understood. Right and left ventricular cardiomyocytes derive from distinct progenitor populations. Here, we show that Hrt2, a gene associated with Brugada syndrome, is a direct target of Wnt signaling in the right ventricle and Notch signaling in the left ventricle. Perturbations of Wnt and Notch signaling during development and in the adult lead to chamber-specific transcriptional effects on Hrt2 expression associated with distinct binding patterns to Hrt2 enhancers. Differential enhancer binding is present at early developmental stages when the signaling pathways are active and persists into adulthood. Consistent with chamber-specific regulation, mice deficient in Wnt transcriptional activity dysregulate only a small fraction of transcripts in common between ventricles. Wnt target gen es important for cellular electrophysiology are differentially regulated, resulting in perturbed cardiac conduction and cellular electrophysiological parameters only within the right ventricle. Ex vivo and in vivo physiologic stimulation of the right ventricle is sufficient to induce ventricular tachycardia in Wnt transcriptionally inactive hearts, while left ventricular stimulation has no effect. Taken together, these data delineate mechanisms underlying ventricular-specific arrhythmia susceptibility due to embryonic programming.