High oxygen prevents fetal lethality due to lack of catecholamines

Calf Fitness Associates with Early Embryo and Recipient Metabolomes and with Calf Epigenetic Marks

We used metadata to explore the metabolic interplay between culture medium from in vitro-produced bovine embryos transferred fresh or frozen, recipient blood plasma, and calf fitness, alongside gene expression and methylation in calf lymphocytes. Principal component (PC) analysis (PCA) identified covariates that were depicted in Debiased Sparse Partial Correlation networks and analyzed as enriched pathways. Four PCs explained 13.77, 9.58, 7.73 and 5.84% variability. PC1 clustered only mother weight and two embryonic metabolites. PC2, PC3 and PC4 associated 10, 17, and 5 calf features with 10, 6, and 16 embryonic and 2, 20, and 5 recipient metabolites, respectively. Subsequently, gene methylation and expression, and calf fitness were analyzed by PCA. Three PCs covered 100% variability. PC1 associated acid-base balance, protein metabolism, Cl-, and Ca2+ with IGF2 and IL1R1 expression, and IL4 and IL12B methylation. PC2 linked H19 expression and methylation with growth and biochemical traits. PC3 clustered growth, hydration, and redox balance, with IGF2, IGF2R, IL1R1 and IL3 methylation, and H19, IGF2, IGF2R and IL12B expression. Gene methylation connected with embryo metabolites through networks via K+, Cl-, HCO3- and TCO2. Calf fitness parallels the early metabolic fingerprints of the embryo and recipient, allowing embryo transfer decision-making based on calf health.

HIF and MYC signaling in adrenal neoplasms of the neural crest: implications for pediatrics

Pediatric neural crest-derived adrenal neoplasms include neuroblastoma and pheochromocytoma. Both entities are associated with a high degree of clinical heterogeneity, varying from spontaneous regression to malignant disease with poor outcome. Increased expression and stabilization of HIF2α appears to contribute to a more aggressive and undifferentiated phenotype in both adrenal neoplasms, whereas MYCN amplification is a valuable prognostic marker in neuroblastoma. The present review focuses on HIF- and MYC signaling in both neoplasms and discusses the interaction of associated pathways during neural crest and adrenal development as well as potential consequences on tumorigenesis. Emerging single-cell methods together with epigenetic and transcriptomic analyses provide further insights into the importance of a tight regulation of HIF and MYC signaling pathways during adrenal development and tumorigenesis. In this context, increased attention to HIF-MYC/MAX interactions may also provide new therapeutic options for these pediatric adrenal neoplasms.

Developmental heterogeneity of embryonic neuroendocrine chromaffin cells and their maturation dynamics

During embryonic development, nerve-associated Schwann cell precursors (SCPs) give rise to chromaffin cells of the adrenal gland via the "bridge" transient stage, according to recent functional experiments and single cell data from humans and mice. However, currently existing data do not resolve the finest heterogeneity of developing chromaffin populations. Here we took advantage of deep SmartSeq2 transcriptomic sequencing to expand our collection of individual cells from the developing murine sympatho-adrenal anlage and uncover the microheterogeneity of embryonic chromaffin cells and their corresponding developmental paths. We discovered that SCPs on the splachnic nerve show a high degree of microheterogeneity corresponding to early biases towards either Schwann or chromaffin terminal fates. Furthermore, we found that a post-"bridge" population of developing chromaffin cells gives rise to persisting oxygen-sensing chromaffin cells and the two terminal populations (adrenergic and noradrenergic) via diverging differentiation paths. Taken together, we provide a thorough identification of novel markers of adrenergic and noradrenergic populations in developing adrenal glands and report novel differentiation paths leading to them.

Chromaffin Cells of the Adrenal Medulla: Physiology, Pharmacology, and Disease

Chromaffin cells (CCs) of the adrenal gland and the sympathetic nervous system produce the catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine; EPI and NE) needed to coordinate the bodily "fight-or-flight" response to fear, stress, exercise, or conflict. EPI and NE release from CCs is regulated both neurogenically by splanchnic nerve fibers and nonneurogenically by hormones (histamine, corticosteroids, angiotensin, and others) and paracrine messengers [EPI, NE, adenosine triphosphate, opioids, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), etc.]. The "stimulus-secretion" coupling of CCs is a Ca2+ -dependent process regulated by Ca2+ entry through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, Ca2+ pumps, and exchangers and intracellular organelles (RE and mitochondria) and diffusible buffers that provide both Ca2+ -homeostasis and Ca2+ -signaling that ultimately trigger exocytosis. CCs also express Na+ and K+ channels and ionotropic (nAChR and GABAA ) and metabotropic receptors (mACh, PACAP, β-AR, 5-HT, histamine, angiotensin, and others) that make CCs excitable and responsive to autocrine and paracrine stimuli. To maintain high rates of E/NE secretion during stressful conditions, CCs possess a large number of secretory chromaffin granules (CGs) and members of the soluble NSF-attachment receptor complex protein family that allow docking, fusion, and exocytosis of CGs at the cell membrane, and their recycling. This article attempts to provide an updated account of well-established features of the molecular processes regulating CC function, and a survey of the as-yet-unsolved but important questions relating to CC function and dysfunction that have been the subject of intense research over the past 15 years. Examples of CCs as a model system to understand the molecular mechanisms associated with neurodegenerative diseases are also provided. Published 2019. Compr Physiol 9:1443-1502, 2019.

Schwann Cell Precursors Generate the Majority of Chromaffin Cells in Zuckerkandl Organ and Some Sympathetic Neurons in Paraganglia

In humans, neurosecretory chromaffin cells control a number of important bodily functions, including those related to stress response. Chromaffin cells appear as a distinct cell type at the beginning of midgestation and are the main cellular source of adrenalin and noradrenalin released into the blood stream. In mammals, two different chromaffin organs emerge at a close distance to each other, the adrenal gland and Zuckerkandl organ (ZO). These two structures are found in close proximity to the kidneys and dorsal aorta, in a region where paraganglioma, pheochromocytoma and neuroblastoma originate in the majority of clinical cases. Recent studies showed that the chromaffin cells comprising the adrenal medulla are largely derived from nerve-associated multipotent Schwann cell precursors (SCPs) arriving at the adrenal anlage with the preganglionic nerve fibers, whereas the migratory neural crest cells provide only minor contribution. However, the embryonic origin of the ZO, which differs from the adrenal medulla in a number of aspects, has not been studied in detail. The ZO is composed of chromaffin cells in direct contact with the dorsal aorta and the intraperitoneal cavity and disappears through an autophagy-mediated mechanism after birth. In contrast, the adrenal medulla remains throughout the entire life and furthermore, is covered by the adrenal cortex. Using a combination of lineage tracing strategies with nerve- and cell type-specific ablations, we reveal that the ZO is largely SCP-derived and forms in synchrony with progressively increasing innervation. Moreover, the ZO develops hand-in-hand with the adjacent sympathetic ganglia that coalesce around the dorsal aorta. Finally, we were able to provide evidence for a SCP-contribution to a small but significant proportion of sympathetic neurons of the posterior paraganglia. Thus, this cellular source complements the neural crest, which acts as a main source of sympathetic neurons. Our discovery of a nerve-dependent origin of chromaffin cells and some sympathoblasts may help to understand the origin of pheochromocytoma, paraganglioma and neuroblastoma, all of which are currently thought to be derived from the neural crest or committed sympathoadrenal precursors.

Increased FGF21 in brown adipose tissue of tyrosine hydroxylase heterozygous mice: implications for cold adaptation

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) catalyzes the first step in catecholamines synthesis. We studied the impact of reduced TH in brown adipose tissue (BAT) activation. In adult heterozygous (Th^+/- ) mice, dopamine and noradrenaline (NA) content in BAT decreased after cold exposure. This reduced catecholaminergic response did not impair cold adaptation, because these mice induced uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) and maintained BAT temperature to a similar extent than controls (Th^+/+ ). Possible compensatory mechanisms implicated were studied. Prdm16 and Fgf21 expression, key genes in BAT activation, were elevated in Th^+/- mice at thermoneutrality from day 18.5 of embryonic life. Likewise, plasma FGF21 and liver Fgf21 mRNA were increased. Analysis of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, a process that triggers elevations in FGF21, showed higher phospho-IRE1, phospho-JNK, and CHOP in BAT of Th^+/- mice at thermoneutrality. Also, increased lipolysis in BAT of cold-exposure Th^+/- mice was demonstrated by increased phosphorylation of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), as well as diacylglycerol (DAG) and FFA content. Overall, these results indicate that the mild effects of Th haploinsufficiency on BAT function are likely due to compensatory mechanisms involving elevations in Fgf21 and Prdm16 and through adaptive changes in the lipid profile.

In Vivo Evaluation of the Cardiovascular System of Mouse Embryo and Fetus Using High Frequency Ultrasound

Genetically engineered mice have been widely used for studying cardiovascular development, physiology and diseases. In the past decade, high frequency ultrasound imaging technology has been significantly advanced and applied to observe the cardiovascular structure, function, and blood flow dynamics with high spatial and temporal resolution in mice. This noninvasive imaging approach has made possible longitudinal studies of the mouse embryo/fetus in utero. In this chapter, we describe detailed methods for: (1) the assessment of the structure, function, and flow dynamics of the developing heart of the mouse embryo during middle gestation (E10.5-E13.5); and (2) the measurement of flow distribution throughout the circulatory system of the mouse fetus at late gestation (E17.5). With the described protocols, we are able to illustrate the main cardiovascular structures and the corresponding functional and flow dynamic events at each stage of development, and generate baseline physiological information about the normal mouse embryo/fetus. These data will serve as the reference material for the identification of cardiovascular abnormalities in numerous mouse models with targeted genetic manipulations.

Hypoxia-regulated catecholamine secretion in chromaffin cells

Adrenal catecholamine (CAT) secretion is a general physiological response of animals to environmental stressors such as hypoxia. This represents an important adaptive mechanism to maintain homeostasis and protect vital organs such as the brain. In adult mammals, CAT secretory responses are triggered by activation of the sympathetic nervous system that supplies cholinergic innervation of adrenomedullary chromaffin cells (AMC) via the splanchnic nerve. In the neonate, the splanchnic innervation of AMC is immature or absent, yet hypoxia stimulates a non-neurogenic CAT secretion that is critical for adaptation to extra-uterine life. This non-neurogenic, hypoxia-sensing mechanism in AMC is gradually lost or suppressed postnatally along a time course that parallels the development of splanchnic innervation. Moreover, denervation of adult AMC results in a gradual return of the direct hypoxia-sensing mechanism. The signaling pathways by which neonatal AMC sense acute hypoxia leading to non-neurogenic CAT secretion and the mechanisms that underlie the re-acquisition of hypoxia-sensing properties by denervated adult AMC, are beginning to be understood. This review will focus on current views concerning the mechanisms responsible for direct acute hypoxia sensing and CAT secretion in perinatal AMC and how they are regulated by innervation during postnatal development. It will also briefly discuss plasticity mechanisms likely to contribute to CAT secretion during exposures to chronic and intermittent hypoxia.

Assessment of flow distribution in the mouse fetal circulation at late gestation by high-frequency Doppler ultrasound

This study used high-frequency ultrasound to evaluate the flow distribution in the mouse fetal circulation at late gestation. We studied 12 fetuses (embryonic day 17.5) from 12 pregnant CD1 mice with 40 MHz ultrasound to assess the flow in 11 vessels based on Doppler measurements of blood velocity and M-mode measurements of diameter. Specifically, the intrahepatic umbilical vein (UVIH), ductus venosus (DV), foramen ovale (FO), ascending aorta (AA), main pulmonary artery (MPA), ductus arteriosus (DA), descending thoracic aorta (DTA), common carotid artery (CCA), inferior vena cava (IVC), and right and left superior vena cavae (RSVC, LSVC) were examined, and anatomically confirmed by micro-CT. The mouse fetal circulatory system was found to be similar to that of the humans in terms of the major circuit and three shunts, but characterized by bilateral superior vena cavae and a single umbilical artery. The combined cardiac output (CCO) was 1.22 ± 0.05 ml/min, with the left ventricle (flow in AA) contributing 47.8 ± 2.3% and the right ventricle (flow in MPA) 52.2 ± 2.3%. Relative to the CCO, the flow percentages were 13.6 ± 1.0% for the UVIH, 10.4 ± 1.1% for the DV, 35.6 ± 2.4% for the DA, 41.9 ± 2.6% for the DTA, 3.8 ± 0.3% for the CCA, 29.5 ± 2.2% for the IVC, 12.7 ± 1.0% for the RSVC, and 9.9 ± 0.9% for the LSVC. The calculated flow percentage was 16.6 ± 3.4% for the pulmonary circulation and 31.2 ± 5.3% for the FO. In conclusion, the flow in mouse fetal circulation can be comprehensively evaluated with ultrasound. The baseline data of the flow distribution in normal mouse fetus serve as the reference range for future studies.

Loss of Hand2 in a population of Periostin lineage cells results in pronounced bradycardia and neonatal death

The Periostin Cre (Postn-Cre) lineage includes endocardial and neural crest derived mesenchymal cells of the cardiac cushions, neural crest-derived components of the sympathetic and enteric nervous systems, and cardiac fibroblasts. In this study, we use the Postn-Cre transgenic allele to conditionally ablate Hand2 (H2CKO). We find that Postn-Cre H2CKOs die shortly after birth despite a lack of obvious cardiac structural defects. To ascertain the cause of death, we performed a detailed comparison of the Postn-Cre lineage and Hand2 expression at mid and late stages of embryonic development. Gene expression analyses demonstrate that Postn-Cre ablates Hand2 from the adrenal medulla as well as the sphenopalatine ganglia of the head. In both cases, Hand2 loss-of-function dramatically reduces expression of Dopamine Beta Hydroxylase (Dbh), a gene encoding a crucial catecholaminergic biosynthetic enzyme. Expression of the genes Tyrosine Hydroxylase (Th) and Phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (Pnmt), which also encode essential catecholaminergic enzymes, were severely reduced in postnatal adrenal glands. Electrocardiograms demonstrate that 3-day postnatal Postn-Cre H2CKO pups exhibit sinus bradycardia. In conjunction with the aforementioned gene expression analyses, these results strongly suggest that the observed postnatal lethality occurs due to a catecholamine deficiency and subsequent heart failure.

Role of hypoxia and HIF2α in development of the sympathoadrenal cell lineage and chromaffin cell tumors with distinct catecholamine phenotypic features

Hypoxia has wide-ranging impact in normal physiology and disease processes. This stimulus evokes changes in gene expression mediated by transcription factors termed hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) that affect numerous processes: angiogenesis, cell survival, cellular metabolism, stem cell self-renewal and multipotency, migration, invasiveness, and metastatic progression in tumor cells. Over the past decade, increasing numbers of reports have emerged documenting differential roles of HIF1α and HIF2α in these processes. In cells of the sympathoadrenal lineage, both HIFs differentially mediate influences of hypoxia on catecholamine synthesis and secretion, but HIF2α signaling has particularly prominent functions in regulating developmental processes of growth and differentiation. This chapter discusses the role of HIF2α and HIF1α in the context of the development, phenotypic features, and functions of chromaffin cells. Moreover, current knowledge about tumor formation in cells of the sympathoadrenal lineage, leading to catecholamine-producing pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas, is analyzed in the light of the HIF2α signaling network.

Physiological and genomic consequences of adrenergic deficiency during embryonic/fetal development in mice: impact on retinoic acid metabolism

Adrenergic hormones are essential for early heart development. To gain insight into understanding how these hormones influence heart development, we evaluated genomic expression changes in embryonic hearts from adrenergic-deficient and wild-type control mice. To perform this study, we used a mouse model with targeted disruption of the Dopamine β-hydroxylase (Dbh) gene, whose product is responsible for enzymatic conversion of dopamine into norepinephrine. Embryos homozygous for the null allele (Dbh(-/-)) die from heart failure beginning as early as embryonic day 10.5 (E10.5). To assess underlying causes of heart failure, we isolated hearts from Dbh(-/-) and Dbh(+/+) embryos prior to manifestation of the phenotype and examined gene expression changes using genomic Affymetrix 430A 2.0 arrays, which enabled simultaneous evaluation of >22,000 genes. We found that only 22 expressed genes showed a significant twofold or greater change, representing ~0.1% of the total genes analyzed. More than half of these genes are associated with either metabolism (31%) or signal transduction (22%). Remarkably, several of the altered genes encode for proteins that are directly involved in retinoic acid (RA) biosynthesis and transport. Subsequent evaluation showed that RA concentrations were significantly elevated by an average of ~3-fold in adrenergic-deficient (Dbh(-/-)) embryos compared with controls, thereby suggesting that RA may be an important downstream mediator of adrenergic action during embryonic heart development.

Adrenergic deficiency leads to impaired electrical conduction and increased arrhythmic potential in the embryonic mouse heart

To determine if adrenergic hormones play a critical role in the functional development of the cardiac pacemaking and conduction system, we employed a mouse model where adrenergic hormone production was blocked due to targeted disruption of the dopamine β-hydroxylase (Dbh) gene. Immunofluorescent histochemical evaluation of the major gap junction protein, connexin 43, revealed that its expression was substantially decreased in adrenergic-deficient (Dbh-/-) relative to adrenergic-competent (Dbh+/+ and Dbh+/-) mouse hearts at embryonic day 10.5 (E10.5), whereas pacemaker and structural protein staining appeared similar. To evaluate cardiac electrical conduction in these hearts, we cultured them on microelectrode arrays (8×8, 200 μm apart). Our results show a significant slowing of atrioventricular conduction in adrenergic-deficient hearts compared to controls (31.4±6.4 vs. 15.4±1.7 ms, respectively, p<0.05). To determine if the absence of adrenergic hormones affected heart rate and rhythm, mouse hearts from adrenergic-competent and deficient embryos were cultured ex vivo at E10.5, and heart rates were measured before and after challenge with the β-adrenergic receptor agonist, isoproterenol (0.5 μM). On average, all hearts showed increased heart rate responses following isoproterenol challenge, but a significant (p<0.05) 225% increase in the arrhythmic index (AI) was observed only in adrenergic-deficient hearts. These results show that adrenergic hormones may influence heart development by stimulating connexin 43 expression, facilitating atrioventricular conduction, and helping to maintain cardiac rhythm during a critical phase of embryonic development.

Low glucose sensitivity and polymodal chemosensing in neonatal rat adrenomedullary chromaffin cells

Glucose is the primary metabolic fuel in mammalian fetuses, yet mammals are incapable of endogenous glucose production until several hours after birth. Thus, when the maternal supply of glucose ceases at birth there is a transient hypoglycemia that elicits a counterregulatory surge in circulating catecholamines. Because the innervation of adrenomedullary chromaffin cells (AMCs) is immature at birth, we hypothesized that neonatal AMCs act as direct glucosensors, a property that could complement their previously established roles as hypoxia and acid hypercapnia sensors. During perforated-patch, whole cell recordings, low glucose depolarized and/or excited a subpopulation of neonatal AMCs; in addition, aglycemia (0 mM glucose) caused inhibition of outward K+ current, blunted by the simultaneous activation of glibenclamide-sensitive KATP channels. Some cells were excited by each of the three metabolic stimuli, i.e., aglycemia, hypoxia (Po2 ∼30 mmHg), and isohydric hypercapnia (10% CO2; pH = 7.4). Using carbon fiber amperometry, aglycemia and hypoglycemia (3 mM glucose) induced robust catecholamine secretion that was sensitive to nickel (50 μM and 2 mM) and the L-type Ca2+ channel blocker nifedipine (10 μM), suggesting involvement of both T-type and L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Fura-2 measurements of intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+] i) revealed that ∼42% of neonatal AMCs responded to aglycemia with a significant rise in [Ca2+] i. Approximately 40% of these cells responded to hypoxia, whereas ∼25% cells responded to both aglycemia and hypoxia. These data suggest that together with hypoxia and acid hypercapnia, low glucose is another important metabolic stimulus that contributes to the vital asphyxia-induced catecholamine surge from AMCs at birth.

Chronic hypoxia upregulates adenosine 2a receptor expression in chromaffin cells via hypoxia inducible factor-2α: role in modulating secretion

Catecholamine (CAT) release from chromaffin tissue plays an essential role in the fetus which develops in a low O₂ environment (hypoxia). To address molecular mechanisms regulating CAT secretion in low O₂, we exposed a fetal chromaffin-derived cell line (MAH cells) to chronic hypoxia (CHox; 2% O₂, 24h) and assessed gene expression using microarrays, quantitative RT-PCR, and western blot. CHox caused a dramatic ∼12× upregulation of adenosine A2a receptor (A2aR) mRNA, an effect critically dependent upon hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-2α which bound the promoter of the A2aR gene. In amperometric studies, acute hypoxia and high K⁺ (30 mM) evoked quantal CAT secretion that was enhanced after CHox, and further potentiated during simultaneous A2aR activation by adenosine. A2aR activation also enhanced stimulus-induced rise in intracellular Ca²⁺ in control, but not HIF-2α-deficient, MAH cells. Thus, A2aR, adenosine, and HIF-2α are key contributors to the potentiation of CAT secretion in developing chromaffin cells during chronic hypoxia.

Dependence of serotonergic and other nonadrenergic enteric neurons on norepinephrine transporter expression

The norepinephrine transporter (NET), which is expressed on the plasma membranes of noradrenergic neurons, is important in terminating neurotransmission. The noradrenergic sympathetic neurons that innervate the bowel express NET, but they are extrinsic and their cell bodies are not components of the enteric nervous system (ENS). Subsets of neurons were nevertheless found in the murine ENS that express transcripts encoding NET, NET protein, and dopamine β-hydroxylase; these neurons lack tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and thus are not catecholaminergic. Enteric NET expression, moreover, preceded the ingrowth of sympathetic axons during development and did not disappear when the gut was extrinsically denervated. Transiently catecholaminergic (TC), neural crest-derived precursors of enteric neurons expressed NET at embryonic day 10 (E10) and NET expression in the fetal gut peaked coincidentally with early neurogenesis at E12. Serotonergic neurons, which are born early from TC progenitors, were found to express NET in the adult ENS, as did also other early-born neurons containing calretinin or neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) immunoreactivities. NET was not expressed in TH-immunoreactive dopaminergic neurons, which are born perinatally. Genetic deletion of NET almost eliminated tryptophan hydroxylase 2 expression and significantly reduced the numbers of total, 5-HT- and calretinin-immunoreactive enteric neurons, without affecting the immunoreactivities of nNOS or TH. These observations indicate that TC precursors of subsets of noncatecholaminergic enteric neurons express NET that persists in the successors of these cells despite their loss of TH. NET expression is essential for development and/or survival of some (5-HT- and calretinin-expressing), but not all (nNOS-expressing), of these neurons.

Moderate global reduction in maternal nutrition has differential stage of gestation specific effects on {beta}1- and {beta}2-adrenergic receptors in the fetal baboon liver

Hepatic β-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs) play a pivotal role in mobilization of reserves via gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis to supply the animal with its energy needs during decreased nutrient availability. Using a unique nutrient-deprived baboon model, we have demonstrated for the first time that immunoreactive hepatic β(1)- and β(2)-AR subtypes are regionally distributed and localized on cells around the central lobular vein in 0.5 and 0.9 gestation (G) fetuses of ad libitum fed control (CTR) and maternal nutrient restricted (MNR) mothers. Furthermore, MNR decreased fetal liver immunoreactive β(1)-AR and increased immunoreactive β(2)-AR at 0.5G. However, at 0.9G, immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis revealed a decrease in β(1)-AR and no change in β(2)-AR levels. Thus, MNR in a nonhuman primate species has effects on hepatic β(1)- and β(2)-ARs that are receptor- and gestation stage-specific and may represent compensatory systems whose effects would increase glucose availability in the presence of nutrient deprivation.

Tyrosine hydroxylase is expressed during early heart development and is required for cardiac chamber formation

AIMS

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is the first and rate-limiting enzyme in catecholamine biosynthesis. Whereas the neuroendocrine roles of cathecolamines postnatally are well known, the presence and function of TH in organogenesis is unclear. The aim of this study was to define the expression of TH during cardiac development and to unravel the role it may play in heart formation.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We studied TH expression in chick embryos by whole mount in situ hybridization and by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and analysed TH activity by high-performance liquid chromatography. We used gain- and loss-of-function models to characterize the role of TH in early cardiogenesis. We found that TH expression was enriched in the cardiac field of gastrulating chick embryos. By stage 8, TH mRNA was restricted to the splanchnic mesoderm of both endocardial tubes and was subsequently expressed predominantly in the myocardial layer of the atrial segment. Overexpression of TH led to increased atrial myosin heavy chain (AMHC1) and T-box 5 gene (Tbx5) expression in the ventricular region and induced bradyarrhythmia. Similarly, addition of l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA) or dopamine induced ectopic expression of cardiac transcription factors (cNkx2.5, Tbx5) and AMHC1 as well as sarcomere formation. Conversely, blockage of dopamine biosynthesis and loss of TH activity decreased AMHC1 and Tbx5 expression, whereas exposure to retinoic acid (RA) induced TH expression in parallel to that of AMHC1 and Tbx5. Concordantly, inhibition of endogenous RA synthesis decreased TH expression as well as that of AMHC1 and Tbx5.

CONCLUSION

TH is expressed in a dynamic pattern during the primitive heart tube formation. TH induces cardiac differentiation in vivo and it is a key regulator of the heart patterning, conferring atriogenic identity.