Shape of my heart: Cell-cell adhesion and cytoskeletal dynamics during Drosophila cardiac morphogenesis

Proteomics of stress-induced cardiomyopathy: insights from differential expression, protein interaction networks, and functional pathway enrichment in an isoproterenol-induced TTC mouse model

Backgrounds

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC), also known as stress-induced cardiomyopathy, is a condition characterized by transient left ventricular dysfunction without coronary artery obstruction.

Methods

We utilized label-free quantitative proteomics to analyze protein expression in a murine model of TTC, induced by a high dose of isoproterenol (ISO) injection.

Results

We found that a single high dose of ISO injection in mice could induce stress-related cardiac dysfunction.The proteomic analysis revealed 81 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between the ISO and control groups-39 were upregulated, and 42 were downregulated. Key pathways enriched by Gene Ontology (GO) analysis included collagen fibril organization, cholesterol biosynthesis, and elastic fiber assembly. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment indicated significant changes in unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, steroid biosynthesis, and ferroptosis. Key hub proteins identified by the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network included Ntrk2, Fdft1, Serpine1, and Cyp1a1. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed upregulation in terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, oxidative phosphorylation, and ferroptosis, with downregulation in pathways such as systemic lupus erythematosus and Rap1 signaling.

Conclusions

This study employed high-throughput liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to identify key proteins associated with energy metabolism, oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death in TTC. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of stress-induced myocardial injury and may offer potential therapeutic targets for mitigating cardiovascular damage under stress conditions.

Comparative transcriptome analyses of the Drosophila pupal eye

Tissue function is dependent on correct cellular organization and behavior. As a result, the identification and study of genes that contribute to tissue morphogenesis is of paramount importance to the fields of cell and developmental biology. Many of the genes required for tissue patterning and organization are highly conserved between phyla. This has led to the emergence of several model organisms and developmental systems that are used to study tissue morphogenesis. One such model is the Drosophila melanogaster pupal eye that has a highly stereotyped arrangement of cells. In addition, the pupal eye is postmitotic that allows for the study of tissue morphogenesis independent from any effects of proliferation. While the changes in cell morphology and organization that occur throughout pupal eye development are well documented, less is known about the corresponding transcriptional changes that choreograph these processes. To identify these transcriptional changes, we dissected wild-type Canton S pupal eyes and performed RNA-sequencing. Our analyses identified differential expression of many loci that are documented regulators of pupal eye morphogenesis and contribute to multiple biological processes including signaling, axon projection, adhesion, and cell survival. We also identified differential expression of genes not previously implicated in pupal eye morphogenesis such as components of the Toll pathway, several non-classical cadherins, and components of the muscle sarcomere, which could suggest these loci function as novel patterning factors.

Insane in the apical membrane: Trafficking events mediating apicobasal epithelial polarity during tube morphogenesis

The creation of cellular tubes is one of the most vital developmental processes, resulting in the formation of most organ types. Cells have co-opted a number of different mechanisms for tube morphogenesis that vary among tissues and organisms; however, generation and maintenance of cell polarity is fundamental for successful lumenogenesis. Polarized membrane transport has emerged as a key driver not only for establishing individual epithelial cell polarity, but also for coordination of epithelial polarization during apical lumen formation and tissue morphogenesis. In recent years, much work has been dedicated to identifying membrane trafficking regulators required for lumenogenesis. In this review we will summarize the findings from the past couple of decades in defining the molecular machinery governing lumenogenesis both in 3D tissue culture models and during organ development in vivo.