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Abu Nahia K, Sulej A, Migdał M, Ochocka N, Ho R, Kamińska B, Zagorski M, Winata CL. scRNA-seq reveals the diversity of the developing cardiac cell lineage and molecular players in heart rhythm regulation. iScience 2024; 27:110083. [PMID: 38872974 PMCID: PMC11170199 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
We utilized scRNA-seq to delineate the diversity of cell types in the zebrafish heart. Transcriptome profiling of over 50,000 cells at 48 and 72 hpf defined at least 18 discrete cell lineages of the developing heart. Utilizing well-established gene signatures, we identified a population of cells likely to be the primary pacemaker and characterized the transcriptome profile defining this critical cell type. Two previously uncharacterized genes, atp1b3b and colec10, were found to be enriched in the sinoatrial cardiomyocytes. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of these two genes significantly reduced heart rate, implicating their role in cardiac development and conduction. Additionally, we describe other cardiac cell lineages, including the endothelial and neural cells, providing their expression profiles as a resource. Our results established a detailed atlas of the developing heart, providing valuable insights into cellular and molecular mechanisms, and pinpointed potential new players in heart rhythm regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Abu Nahia
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agata Sulej
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Migdał
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Natalia Ochocka
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Richard Ho
- Institute of Theoretical Physics and Mark Kac Center for Complex Systems Research, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
- The Njord Centre, Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Bożena Kamińska
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marcin Zagorski
- Institute of Theoretical Physics and Mark Kac Center for Complex Systems Research, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
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2
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da Silva AR, Gunawan F, Boezio GLM, Faure E, Théron A, Avierinos JF, Lim S, Jha SG, Ramadass R, Guenther S, Looso M, Zaffran S, Juan T, Stainier DYR. egr3 is a mechanosensitive transcription factor gene required for cardiac valve morphogenesis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl0633. [PMID: 38748804 PMCID: PMC11095463 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl0633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Biomechanical forces, and their molecular transducers, including key mechanosensitive transcription factor genes, such as KLF2, are required for cardiac valve morphogenesis. However, klf2 mutants fail to completely recapitulate the valveless phenotype observed under no-flow conditions. Here, we identify the transcription factor EGR3 as a conserved biomechanical force transducer critical for cardiac valve formation. We first show that egr3 null zebrafish display a complete and highly penetrant loss of valve leaflets, leading to severe blood regurgitation. Using tissue-specific loss- and gain-of-function tools, we find that during cardiac valve formation, Egr3 functions cell-autonomously in endothelial cells, and identify one of its effectors, the nuclear receptor Nr4a2b. We further find that mechanical forces up-regulate egr3/EGR3 expression in the developing zebrafish heart and in porcine valvular endothelial cells, as well as during human aortic valve remodeling. Altogether, these findings reveal that EGR3 is necessary to transduce the biomechanical cues required for zebrafish cardiac valve morphogenesis, and potentially for pathological aortic valve remodeling in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agatha Ribeiro da Silva
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Department of Developmental Genetics, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Rhine-Main, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Felix Gunawan
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Department of Developmental Genetics, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Rhine-Main, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Giulia L. M. Boezio
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Department of Developmental Genetics, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Rhine-Main, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Emilie Faure
- Aix Marseille Université, INSERM, MMG, U1251, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Alexis Théron
- Aix Marseille Université, INSERM, MMG, U1251, 13005 Marseille, France
- Service de Chirurgie Cardiaque, AP-HM, Hôpital de la Timone, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Jean-François Avierinos
- Aix Marseille Université, INSERM, MMG, U1251, 13005 Marseille, France
- Service de Cardiologie, AP-HM, Hôpital de la Timone, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - SoEun Lim
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Department of Developmental Genetics, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Shivam Govind Jha
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Department of Developmental Genetics, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Radhan Ramadass
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Department of Developmental Genetics, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Stefan Guenther
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Rhine-Main, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Bioinformatics and Deep Sequencing Platform, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Mario Looso
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Rhine-Main, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Bioinformatics Core Unit (BCU), Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Stéphane Zaffran
- Aix Marseille Université, INSERM, MMG, U1251, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Thomas Juan
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Department of Developmental Genetics, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Rhine-Main, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Didier Y. R. Stainier
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Department of Developmental Genetics, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Rhine-Main, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Bad Nauheim, Germany
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3
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Fitzsimons LA, Kneeland‐Barber DM, Hannigan GC, Karpe DA, Wu L, Colon M, Randall J, Tucker KL. Electrophysiological phenotyping of left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy in pediatric populations: A systematic review. Physiol Rep 2024; 12:e16029. [PMID: 38684446 PMCID: PMC11058051 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.16029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC) is a structural heart defect that has been associated with generation of arrhythmias in the population and is a cause of sudden cardiac death with severe systolic dysfunction and fatal arrhythmias. LVNC has gained increasing acknowledgment with increased prevalence. We conducted a systematic review of reported electrocardiogram (ECG) results for pediatric LVNC patients. EMBASE database query was performed, yielding 4531 articles related to LVNC between 1990 and December 2023. Patient age ranged from prenatal to 18 years of age. Qualitative analyses were performed to characterize individual arrhythmias, and summative interpretation of ECG evaluations was gathered for the entire cohort. Systematic review of 57 LVNC cases and ECG presentation revealed many waveform consistencies, including abnormal left ventricular, atrioventricular node, and interventricular septal patterns, and specifically a high incidence of Mobitz type II and Wolff-Parkinson-White waveforms. This review of ECG analysis reinforces the clinical and etiologic significance of pediatric LVNC. While LVNC in pediatric populations may not always present as acute clinical cases, further investigation into the electrophysiology of the disease supports the need for further evaluation and risk stratification for patients with suspected LVNC and/or ventricular arrhythmia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey A. Fitzsimons
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic MedicineUniversity of New EnglandBiddefordMaineUSA
| | - Delanie M. Kneeland‐Barber
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic MedicineUniversity of New EnglandBiddefordMaineUSA
| | - Gracie C. Hannigan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic MedicineUniversity of New EnglandBiddefordMaineUSA
| | - David A. Karpe
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic MedicineUniversity of New EnglandBiddefordMaineUSA
| | - Lyman Wu
- Albany Medical CenterAlbany Medical CollegeAlbanyNew YorkUSA
| | - Michael Colon
- Albany Medical CenterAlbany Medical CollegeAlbanyNew YorkUSA
- Department of PediatricsAlbany Medical CollegeAlbanyNew YorkUSA
- Pediatric Cardiology, Capital District Pediatric Cardiology AssociatesAlbany Medical CollegeAlbanyNew YorkUSA
| | - Jess Randall
- Albany Medical CenterAlbany Medical CollegeAlbanyNew YorkUSA
- Department of PediatricsAlbany Medical CollegeAlbanyNew YorkUSA
- Pediatric Cardiology, Capital District Pediatric Cardiology AssociatesAlbany Medical CollegeAlbanyNew YorkUSA
| | - Kerry L. Tucker
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic MedicineUniversity of New EnglandBiddefordMaineUSA
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Cai Z, Zhu M, Xu L, Wang Y, Xu Y, Yim WY, Cao H, Guo R, Qiu X, He X, Shi J, Qiao W, Dong N. Directed Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Heart Valve Cells. Circulation 2024; 149:1435-1456. [PMID: 38357822 PMCID: PMC11062615 DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.123.065143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A main obstacle in current valvular heart disease research is the lack of high-quality homogeneous functional heart valve cells. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs)-derived heart valve cells may help with this dilemma. However, there are no well-established protocols to induce hiPSCs to differentiate into functional heart valve cells, and the networks that mediate the differentiation have not been fully elucidated. METHODS To generate heart valve cells from hiPSCs, we sequentially activated the Wnt, BMP4, VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), and NFATc1 signaling pathways using CHIR-99021, BMP4, VEGF-165, and forskolin, respectively. The transcriptional and functional similarity of hiPSC-derived heart valve cells compared with primary heart valve cells were characterized. Longitudinal single-cell RNA sequencing was used to uncover the trajectory, switch genes, pathways, and transcription factors of the differentiation. RESULTS An efficient protocol was developed to induce hiPSCs to differentiate into functional hiPSC-derived valve endothelial-like cells and hiPSC-derived valve interstitial-like cells. After 6-day differentiation and CD144 magnetic bead sorting, ≈70% CD144+ cells and 30% CD144- cells were obtained. On the basis of single-cell RNA sequencing data, the CD144+ cells and CD144- cells were found to be highly similar to primary heart valve endothelial cells and primary heart valve interstitial cells in gene expression profile. Furthermore, CD144+ cells had the typical function of primary heart valve endothelial cells, including tube formation, uptake of low-density lipoprotein, generation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and response to shear stress. Meanwhile, CD144- cells could secret collagen and matrix metalloproteinases, and differentiate into osteogenic or adipogenic lineages like primary heart valve interstitial cells. Therefore, we identified CD144+ cells and CD144- cells as hiPSC-derived valve endothelial-like cells and hiPSC-derived valve interstitial-like cells, respectively. Using single-cell RNA sequencing analysis, we demonstrated that the trajectory of heart valve cell differentiation was consistent with embryonic valve development. We identified the main switch genes (NOTCH1, HEY1, and MEF2C), signaling pathways (TGF-β, Wnt, and NOTCH), and transcription factors (MSX1, SP5, and MECOM) that mediated the differentiation. Finally, we found that hiPSC-derived valve interstitial-like cells might derive from hiPSC-derived valve endothelial-like cells undergoing endocardial-mesenchymal transition. CONCLUSIONS In summary, this is the first study to report an efficient strategy to generate functional hiPSC-derived valve endothelial-like cells and hiPSC-derived valve interstitial-like cells from hiPSCs, as well as to elucidate the differentiation trajectory and transcriptional dynamics of hiPSCs differentiated into heart valve cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziwen Cai
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China (Z.C., L.X., Y.X., W.Y.Y., H.C., R.G., X.Q, J.S., W.Q., N.D.)
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China (Z.C.)
| | - Miaomiao Zhu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China (Z.C.)
- Institute of Maternal and Children Health, Wuhan Children’s Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Hubei, China (M.Z.)
| | - Li Xu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China (Z.C., L.X., Y.X., W.Y.Y., H.C., R.G., X.Q, J.S., W.Q., N.D.)
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Union Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China (Y.W.)
| | - Yin Xu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China (Z.C., L.X., Y.X., W.Y.Y., H.C., R.G., X.Q, J.S., W.Q., N.D.)
| | - Wai Yen Yim
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China (Z.C., L.X., Y.X., W.Y.Y., H.C., R.G., X.Q, J.S., W.Q., N.D.)
| | - Hong Cao
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China (Z.C., L.X., Y.X., W.Y.Y., H.C., R.G., X.Q, J.S., W.Q., N.D.)
| | - Ruikang Guo
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China (Z.C., L.X., Y.X., W.Y.Y., H.C., R.G., X.Q, J.S., W.Q., N.D.)
| | - Xiang Qiu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China (Z.C., L.X., Y.X., W.Y.Y., H.C., R.G., X.Q, J.S., W.Q., N.D.)
| | - Ximiao He
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China (M.Z., X.H.)
| | - Jiawei Shi
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China (Z.C., L.X., Y.X., W.Y.Y., H.C., R.G., X.Q, J.S., W.Q., N.D.)
| | - Weihua Qiao
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China (Z.C., L.X., Y.X., W.Y.Y., H.C., R.G., X.Q, J.S., W.Q., N.D.)
| | - Nianguo Dong
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China (Z.C., L.X., Y.X., W.Y.Y., H.C., R.G., X.Q, J.S., W.Q., N.D.)
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5
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Juan T, Bellec M, Cardoso B, Athéa H, Fukuda N, Albu M, Günther S, Looso M, Stainier DYR. Control of cardiac contractions using Cre-lox and degron strategies in zebrafish. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2309842121. [PMID: 38194447 PMCID: PMC10801847 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309842121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Cardiac contractions and hemodynamic forces are essential for organ development and homeostasis. Control over cardiac contractions can be achieved pharmacologically or optogenetically. However, these approaches lack specificity or require direct access to the heart. Here, we compare two genetic approaches to control cardiac contractions by modulating the levels of the essential sarcomeric protein Tnnt2a in zebrafish. We first recombine a newly generated tnnt2a floxed allele using multiple lines expressing Cre under the control of cardiomyocyte-specific promoters, and show that it does not recapitulate the tnnt2a/silent heart mutant phenotype in embryos. We show that this lack of early cardiac contraction defects is due, at least in part, to the long half-life of tnnt2a mRNA, which masks the gene deletion effects until the early larval stages. We then generate an endogenous Tnnt2a-eGFP fusion line that we use together with the zGRAD system to efficiently degrade Tnnt2a in all cardiomyocytes. Using single-cell transcriptomics, we find that Tnnt2a depletion leads to cardiac phenotypes similar to those observed in tnnt2a mutants, with a loss of blood and pericardial flow-dependent cell types. Furthermore, we achieve conditional degradation of Tnnt2a-eGFP by splitting the zGRAD protein into two fragments that, when combined with the cpFRB2-FKBP system, can be reassembled upon rapamycin treatment. Thus, this Tnnt2a degradation line enables non-invasive control of cardiac contractions with high spatial and temporal specificity and will help further understand how they shape organ development and homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Juan
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz- Kreislaufforschung), Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
| | - Maëlle Bellec
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz- Kreislaufforschung), Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
| | - Bárbara Cardoso
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz- Kreislaufforschung), Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
| | - Héloïse Athéa
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz- Kreislaufforschung), Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
| | - Nana Fukuda
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz- Kreislaufforschung), Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
| | - Marga Albu
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz- Kreislaufforschung), Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
| | - Stefan Günther
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz- Kreislaufforschung), Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- Bioinformatics and Deep Sequencing Platform, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
| | - Mario Looso
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz- Kreislaufforschung), Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- Bioinformatics Core Unit, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
| | - Didier Y. R. Stainier
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz- Kreislaufforschung), Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
- Cardio-Pulmonary Institute, Bad Nauheim61231, Germany
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6
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Zhu H, Liao D, Mehmood MA, Huang Y, Yuan W, Zheng J, Ma Y, Peng Y, Tian G, Xiao X, Lan C, Li L, Xu K, Lu H, Wang N. Systolic heart failure induced by butylparaben in zebrafish is caused through oxidative stress and immunosuppression. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 268:115692. [PMID: 37981439 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Due to Butylparaben (BuP) widespread application in cosmetics, food, pharmaceuticals, and its presence as an environmental residue, human and animal exposure to BuP is common, potentially posing hazards to both human and animal health. Congenital heart disease is already a serious problem. However, the effects of BuP on the developing heart and its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, zebrafish embryos were exposed to environmentally and human-relevant concentrations of BuP (0.6 mg/L, 1.2 mg/L, and 1.8 mg/L, calculated but not measured) at 6 h post-fertilization (hpf) and were treated until 72 hpf. Exposure to BuP led to cardiac morphological defects and cardiac dysfunction in zebrafish embryos, manifesting symptoms similar to systolic heart failure. The etiology of BuP-induced systolic heart failure in zebrafish embryos is multifactorial, including cardiomyocyte apoptosis, endocardial and atrioventricular valve damage, insufficient myocardial energy, impaired Ca2+ homeostasis, depletion of cardiac-resident macrophages, cardiac immune non-responsiveness, and cardiac oxidative stress. However, excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cardiac region and cardiac immunosuppression (depletion of cardiac-resident macrophages and cardiac immune non-responsiveness) may be the predominant factors. In conclusion, this study indicates that BuP is a potential hazardous substance that can cause adverse effects on the developing heart and provides evidence and insights into the pathological mechanisms by which BuP leads to cardiac dysfunction. It may help to prevent the BuP-based congenital heart disease heart failure in human through ameliorating strategies and BuP discharge policies, while raising awareness to prevent the misuse of preservatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhu
- School of Bioengineering, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Zigong 643000, China; Wuliangye Group Co., Ltd., Yibin 644007, China; Engineering Technology Research Center of Special Grain for Wine Making, Yibin 644000, China
| | - Dalong Liao
- School of Bioengineering, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Zigong 643000, China
| | - Muhammad Aamer Mehmood
- School of Bioengineering, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Zigong 643000, China; Bioenergy Research Center, Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Yong Huang
- Center for Drug Screening and Research, School of Geography and Environmental Engineering, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou 341000, China; State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330029, Jiangxi, China
| | - Wei Yuan
- Center for Drug Screening and Research, School of Geography and Environmental Engineering, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Jia Zheng
- Wuliangye Group Co., Ltd., Yibin 644007, China
| | - Yi Ma
- School of Bioengineering, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Zigong 643000, China; Engineering Technology Research Center of Special Grain for Wine Making, Yibin 644000, China
| | - Yuyang Peng
- Center for Drug Screening and Research, School of Geography and Environmental Engineering, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Guiyou Tian
- Center for Drug Screening and Research, School of Geography and Environmental Engineering, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Xiaoping Xiao
- Center for Drug Screening and Research, School of Geography and Environmental Engineering, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Chaohua Lan
- School of Bioengineering, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Zigong 643000, China
| | - Linman Li
- School of Bioengineering, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Zigong 643000, China
| | - Kewei Xu
- School of Bioengineering, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Zigong 643000, China
| | - Huiqiang Lu
- Center for Drug Screening and Research, School of Geography and Environmental Engineering, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou 341000, China; Affiliated Hospital of Jinggangshan University, Center for Clinical Medicine Research of Jinggangshan University, China.
| | - Ning Wang
- School of Bioengineering, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Zigong 643000, China; Chengdu Chongqing Shuangcheng economic circle (Luzhou) advanced technology research institute, Luzhou 646000, China; Engineering Technology Research Center of Special Grain for Wine Making, Yibin 644000, China.
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7
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Velichkova G, Dobreva G. Human pluripotent stem cell-based models of heart development and disease. Cells Dev 2023; 175:203857. [PMID: 37257755 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2023.203857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The heart is a complex organ composed of distinct cell types, such as cardiomyocytes, cardiac fibroblasts, endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, neuronal cells and immune cells. All these cell types contribute to the structural, electrical and mechanical properties of the heart. Genetic manipulation and lineage tracing studies in mice have been instrumental in gaining critical insights into the networks regulating cardiac cell lineage specification, cell fate and plasticity. Such knowledge has been of fundamental importance for the development of efficient protocols for the directed differentiation of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) in highly specialized cardiac cell types. In this review, we summarize the evolution and current advances in protocols for cardiac subtype specification, maturation, and assembly in cardiac microtissues and organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Velichkova
- Department of Cardiovascular Genomics and Epigenomics, European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Gergana Dobreva
- Department of Cardiovascular Genomics and Epigenomics, European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany; German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Germany.
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8
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Angelini A, Trial J, Saltzman AB, Malovannaya A, Cieslik KA. A defective mechanosensing pathway affects fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition in the old male mouse heart. iScience 2023; 26:107283. [PMID: 37520701 PMCID: PMC10372839 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The cardiac fibroblast interacts with an extracellular matrix (ECM), enabling myofibroblast maturation via a process called mechanosensing. Although in the aging male heart, ECM is stiffer than in the young mouse, myofibroblast development is impaired, as demonstrated in 2-D and 3-D experiments. In old male cardiac fibroblasts, we found a decrease in actin polymerization, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and Kindlin-2 expressions, the latter an effector of the mechanosensing. When Kindlin-2 levels were manipulated via siRNA interference, young fibroblasts developed an old-like fibroblast phenotype, whereas Kindlin-2 overexpression in old fibroblasts reversed the defective phenotype. Finally, inhibition of overactivated extracellular regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) in the old male fibroblasts rescued actin polymerization and α-SMA expression. Pathological ERK1/2 overactivation was also attenuated by Kindlin-2 overexpression. In contrast, old female cardiac fibroblasts retained an operant mechanosensing pathway. In conclusion, we identified defective components of the Kindlin/ERK/actin/α-SMA mechanosensing axis in aged male fibroblasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aude Angelini
- Section of Cardiovascular Research, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - JoAnn Trial
- Section of Cardiovascular Research, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Alexander B. Saltzman
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Mass Spectrometry Proteomics Core, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Anna Malovannaya
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Mass Spectrometry Proteomics Core, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Katarzyna A. Cieslik
- Section of Cardiovascular Research, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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9
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Brown KN, Phan HKT, Jui EL, Kang MK, Connell JP, Keswani SG, Grande-Allen KJ. Isolation and Characterization of Porcine Endocardial Endothelial Cells. Tissue Eng Part C Methods 2023; 29:371-380. [PMID: 37310900 PMCID: PMC10442675 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tec.2023.0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The heart contains diverse endothelial cell types. We sought to characterize the endocardial endothelial cells (EECs), which line the chambers of the heart. EECs are relatively understudied, yet their dysregulation can lead to various cardiac pathologies. Due to the lack of commercial availability of these cells, we reported our protocol for isolating EECs from porcine hearts and for establishing an EEC population through cell sorting. In addition, we compared the EEC phenotype and fundamental behaviors to a well-studied endothelial cell line, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The EECs stained positively for classic phenotypic markers such as CD31, von Willebrand Factor, and vascular endothelial (VE) cadherin. The EECs proliferated more quickly than HUVECs at 48 h (1310 ± 251 cells vs. 597 ± 130 cells, p = 0.0361) and at 96 h (2873 ± 257 cells vs. 1714 ± 342 cells, p = 0.0002). Yet EECs migrated more slowly than HUVECs to cover a scratch wound at 4 h (5% ± 1% wound closure vs. 25% ± 3% wound closure, p < 0.0001), 8 h (15% ± 4% wound closure vs. 51% ± 12% wound closure, p < 0.0001), and 24 h (70% ± 11% wound closure vs. 90% ± 3% wound closure, p < 0.0001). Finally, the EECs maintained their endothelial phenotype by positive expression of CD31 through more than a dozen passages (three populations of EECs showing 97% ± 1% CD31+ cells in over 14 passages). In contrast, the HUVECs showed significantly reduced CD31 expression over high passages (80% ± 11% CD31+ cells over 14 passages). These important phenotypic differences between EECs and HUVECs highlight the need for researchers to utilize the most relevant cell types when studying or modeling diseases of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hong Kim T. Phan
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Elysa L. Jui
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Marci K. Kang
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Sundeep G. Keswani
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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10
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Zhong X, Li Z, Xu Q, Peng H, Su Y, Le K, Shu Z, Liao Y, Ma Z, Pan X, Xu S, Zhou S. Short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase is a potential target for the treatment of vascular remodelling. J Hypertens 2023; 41:775-793. [PMID: 36883465 DOI: 10.1097/hjh.0000000000003399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCAD), a key enzyme in the fatty acid oxidation process, is not only involved in ATP synthesis but also regulates the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide synthesis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible role of SCAD in hypertension-associated vascular remodelling. METHODS In-vivo experiments were performed on spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs, ages of 4 weeks to 20 months) and SCAD knockout mice. The aorta sections of hypertensive patients were used for measurement of SCAD expression. In-vitro experiments with t-butylhydroperoxide (tBHP), SCAD siRNA, adenovirus-SCAD (MOI 90) or shear stress (4, 15 dynes/cm 2 ) were performed using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). RESULTS Compared with age-matched Wistar rats, aortic SCAD expression decreased gradually in SHRs with age. In addition, aerobic exercise training for 8 weeks could significantly increase SCAD expression and enzyme activity in the aortas of SHRs while decreasing vascular remodelling in SHRs. SCAD knockout mice also exhibited aggravated vascular remodelling and cardiovascular dysfunction. Likewise, SCAD expression was also decreased in tBHP-induced endothelial cell apoptosis models and the aortas of hypertensive patients. SCAD siRNA caused HUVEC apoptosis in vitro , whereas adenovirus-mediated SCAD overexpression (Ad-SCAD) protected against HUVEC apoptosis. Furthermore, SCAD expression was decreased in HUVECs exposed to low shear stress (4 dynes/cm 2 ) and increased in HUVECs exposed to 15 dynes/cm 2 compared with those under static conditions. CONCLUSION SCAD is a negative regulator of vascular remodelling and may represent a novel therapeutic target for vascular remodelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyi Zhong
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, GuangDong Pharmaceutical University
- Key Specialty of Clinical Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, GuangZhou, China
| | - Zhonghong Li
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, GuangDong Pharmaceutical University
- Key Specialty of Clinical Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, GuangZhou, China
| | - Qingping Xu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, GuangDong Pharmaceutical University
- Key Specialty of Clinical Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, GuangZhou, China
| | - Huan Peng
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, GuangDong Pharmaceutical University
- Key Specialty of Clinical Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, GuangZhou, China
| | - Yongshao Su
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, GuangDong Pharmaceutical University
- Key Specialty of Clinical Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, GuangZhou, China
| | - Kang Le
- Sickle Cell Branch, National heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Zhaohui Shu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, GuangDong Pharmaceutical University
- Key Specialty of Clinical Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, GuangZhou, China
| | - Yingqin Liao
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, GuangDong Pharmaceutical University
- Key Specialty of Clinical Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, GuangZhou, China
| | - Zhichao Ma
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, GuangDong Pharmaceutical University
- Key Specialty of Clinical Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, GuangZhou, China
| | - Xuediao Pan
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, GuangDong Pharmaceutical University
- Key Specialty of Clinical Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, GuangZhou, China
| | - Suowen Xu
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei, China
| | - Sigui Zhou
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, GuangDong Pharmaceutical University
- Key Specialty of Clinical Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, GuangZhou, China
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11
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George RM, Firulli BA, Podicheti R, Rusch DB, Mannion BJ, Pennacchio LA, Osterwalder M, Firulli AB. Single cell evaluation of endocardial Hand2 gene regulatory networks reveals HAND2-dependent pathways that impact cardiac morphogenesis. Development 2023; 150:dev201341. [PMID: 36620995 PMCID: PMC10110492 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The transcription factor HAND2 plays essential roles during cardiogenesis. Hand2 endocardial deletion (H2CKO) results in tricuspid atresia or double inlet left ventricle with accompanying intraventricular septum defects, hypo-trabeculated ventricles and an increased density of coronary lumens. To understand the regulatory mechanisms of these phenotypes, single cell transcriptome analysis of mouse E11.5 H2CKO hearts was performed revealing a number of disrupted endocardial regulatory pathways. Using HAND2 DNA occupancy data, we identify several HAND2-dependent enhancers, including two endothelial enhancers for the shear-stress master regulator KLF2. A 1.8 kb enhancer located 50 kb upstream of the Klf2 TSS imparts specific endothelial/endocardial expression within the vasculature and endocardium. This enhancer is HAND2-dependent for ventricular endocardium expression but HAND2-independent for Klf2 vascular and valve expression. Deletion of this Klf2 enhancer results in reduced Klf2 expression within ventricular endocardium. These data reveal that HAND2 functions within endocardial gene regulatory networks including shear-stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajani M. George
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Departments of Pediatrics, Anatomy and Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana Medical School, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Beth A. Firulli
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Departments of Pediatrics, Anatomy and Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana Medical School, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Ram Podicheti
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Douglas B. Rusch
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Brandon J. Mannion
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Comparative Biochemistry Program, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Len A. Pennacchio
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Comparative Biochemistry Program, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Marco Osterwalder
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Bern 3008, Switzerland
- Department of Cardiology, Bern University Hospital, Bern 3010, Switzerland
| | - Anthony B. Firulli
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Departments of Pediatrics, Anatomy and Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana Medical School, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
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12
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Qu X, Harmelink C, Baldwin HS. Endocardial-Myocardial Interactions During Early Cardiac Differentiation and Trabeculation. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:857581. [PMID: 35600483 PMCID: PMC9116504 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.857581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Throughout the continuum of heart formation, myocardial growth and differentiation occurs in concert with the development of a specialized population of endothelial cells lining the cardiac lumen, the endocardium. Once the endocardial cells are specified, they are in close juxtaposition to the cardiomyocytes, which facilitates communication between the two cell types that has been proven to be critical for both early cardiac development and later myocardial function. Endocardial cues orchestrate cardiomyocyte proliferation, survival, and organization. Additionally, the endocardium enables oxygenated blood to reach the cardiomyocytes. Cardiomyocytes, in turn, secrete factors that promote endocardial growth and function. As misregulation of this delicate and complex endocardial-myocardial interplay can result in congenital heart defects, further delineation of underlying genetic and molecular factors involved in cardiac paracrine signaling will be vital in the development of therapies to promote cardiac homeostasis and regeneration. Herein, we highlight the latest research that has advanced the elucidation of endocardial-myocardial interactions in early cardiac morphogenesis, including endocardial and myocardial crosstalk necessary for cellular differentiation and tissue remodeling during trabeculation, as well as signaling critical for endocardial growth during trabeculation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianghu Qu
- Department of Pediatrics (Cardiology), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Cristina Harmelink
- Department of Pediatrics (Cardiology), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - H. Scott Baldwin
- Department of Pediatrics (Cardiology), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Cell and Development Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- *Correspondence: H. Scott Baldwin
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13
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Vignes H, Vagena-Pantoula C, Prakash M, Fukui H, Norden C, Mochizuki N, Jug F, Vermot J. Extracellular mechanical forces drive endocardial cell volume decrease during zebrafish cardiac valve morphogenesis. Dev Cell 2022; 57:598-609.e5. [PMID: 35245444 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Organ morphogenesis involves dynamic changes of tissue properties while cells adapt to their mechanical environment through mechanosensitive pathways. How mechanical cues influence cell behaviors during morphogenesis remains unclear. Here, we studied the formation of the zebrafish atrioventricular canal (AVC) where cardiac valves develop. We show that the AVC forms within a zone of tissue convergence associated with the increased activation of the actomyosin meshwork and cell-orientation changes. We demonstrate that tissue convergence occurs with a reduction of cell volume triggered by mechanical forces and the mechanosensitive channel TRPP2/TRPV4. Finally, we show that the extracellular matrix component hyaluronic acid controls cell volume changes. Together, our data suggest that multiple force-sensitive signaling pathways converge to modulate cell volume. We conclude that cell volume reduction is a key cellular feature activated by mechanotransduction during cardiovascular morphogenesis. This work further identifies how mechanical forces and extracellular matrix influence tissue remodeling in developing organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Vignes
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR7104, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1258 and Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | | | - Mangal Prakash
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany; Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Hajime Fukui
- Department of Cell Biology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Caren Norden
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany; Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Naoki Mochizuki
- Department of Cell Biology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Florian Jug
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany; Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Fondazione Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
| | - Julien Vermot
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR7104, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1258 and Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, Illkirch, France; Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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14
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Cardiac forces regulate zebrafish heart valve delamination by modulating Nfat signaling. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001505. [PMID: 35030171 PMCID: PMC8794269 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In the clinic, most cases of congenital heart valve defects are thought to arise through errors that occur after the endothelial–mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) stage of valve development. Although mechanical forces caused by heartbeat are essential modulators of cardiovascular development, their role in these later developmental events is poorly understood. To address this question, we used the zebrafish superior atrioventricular valve (AV) as a model. We found that cellularized cushions of the superior atrioventricular canal (AVC) morph into valve leaflets via mesenchymal–endothelial transition (MEndoT) and tissue sheet delamination. Defects in delamination result in thickened, hyperplastic valves, and reduced heart function. Mechanical, chemical, and genetic perturbation of cardiac forces showed that mechanical stimuli are important regulators of valve delamination. Mechanistically, we show that forces modulate Nfatc activity to control delamination. Together, our results establish the cellular and molecular signature of cardiac valve delamination in vivo and demonstrate the continuous regulatory role of mechanical forces and blood flow during valve formation. Why do developing zebrafish atrioventricular heart valves become hyperplastic under certain hemodynamic conditions? This study suggests that part of the answer lies in how the mechanosensitive Nfat pathway regulates the valve mesenchymal-to-endothelial transition.
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15
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Myocardial Afterload Is a Key Biomechanical Regulator of Atrioventricular Myocyte Differentiation in Zebrafish. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2022; 9:jcdd9010022. [PMID: 35050232 PMCID: PMC8779957 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd9010022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Heart valve development is governed by both genetic and biomechanical inputs. Prior work has demonstrated that oscillating shear stress associated with blood flow is required for normal atrioventricular (AV) valve development. Cardiac afterload is defined as the pressure the ventricle must overcome in order to pump blood throughout the circulatory system. In human patients, conditions of high afterload can cause valve pathology. Whether high afterload adversely affects embryonic valve development remains poorly understood. Here we describe a zebrafish model exhibiting increased myocardial afterload, caused by vasopressin, a vasoconstrictive drug. We show that the application of vasopressin reliably produces an increase in afterload without directly acting on cardiac tissue in zebrafish embryos. We have found that increased afterload alters the rate of growth of the cardiac chambers and causes remodeling of cardiomyocytes. Consistent with pathology seen in patients with clinically high afterload, we see defects in both the form and the function of the valve leaflets. Our results suggest that valve defects are due to changes in atrioventricular myocyte signaling, rather than pressure directly acting on the endothelial valve leaflet cells. Cardiac afterload should therefore be considered a biomechanical factor that particularly impacts embryonic valve development.
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16
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Extracellular hyaluronate pressure shaped by cellular tethers drives tissue morphogenesis. Cell 2021; 184:6313-6325.e18. [PMID: 34942099 PMCID: PMC8722442 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
How tissues acquire complex shapes is a fundamental question in biology and regenerative medicine. Zebrafish semicircular canals form from invaginations in the otic epithelium (buds) that extend and fuse to form the hubs of each canal. We find that conventional actomyosin-driven behaviors are not required. Instead, local secretion of hyaluronan, made by the enzymes uridine 5'-diphosphate dehydrogenase (ugdh) and hyaluronan synthase 3 (has3), drives canal morphogenesis. Charged hyaluronate polymers osmotically swell with water and generate isotropic extracellular pressure to deform the overlying epithelium into buds. The mechanical anisotropy needed to shape buds into tubes is conferred by a polarized distribution of actomyosin and E-cadherin-rich membrane tethers, which we term cytocinches. Most work on tissue morphogenesis ascribes actomyosin contractility as the driving force, while the extracellular matrix shapes tissues through differential stiffness. Our work inverts this expectation. Hyaluronate pressure shaped by anisotropic tissue stiffness may be a widespread mechanism for powering morphological change in organogenesis and tissue engineering.
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17
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Torregrosa-Carrión R, Piñeiro-Sabarís R, Siguero-Álvarez M, Grego-Bessa J, Luna-Zurita L, Fernandes VS, MacGrogan D, Stainier DYR, de la Pompa JL. Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor Gpr126/Adgrg6 is essential for placental development. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabj5445. [PMID: 34767447 PMCID: PMC8589310 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj5445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in the G protein–coupled receptor GPR126/ADGRG6 cause human diseases, including defective peripheral nervous system (PNS) myelination. To study GPR126 function, we generated new genetic mice and zebrafish models. Murine Gpr126 is expressed in developing heart endocardium, and global Gpr126 inactivation is embryonically lethal, with mutants having thin-walled ventricles but unaffected heart patterning or maturation. Endocardial-specific Gpr126 deletion does not affect heart development or function, and transgenic endocardial GPR126 expression fails to rescue lethality in Gpr126-null mice. Zebrafish gpr126 mutants display unaffected heart development. Gpr126 is also expressed in placental trophoblast giant cells. Gpr126-null mice with a heterozygous placenta survive but exhibit GPR126-defective PNS phenotype. In contrast, Gpr126-null embryos with homozygous mutant placenta die but are rescued by placental GPR126 expression. Gpr126-deficient placentas display down-regulation of preeclampsia markers Mmp9, Cts7, and Cts8. We propose that the placenta-heart axis accounts for heart abnormalities secondary to placental defects in Gpr126 mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Torregrosa-Carrión
- Intercellular Signalling in Cardiovascular Development and Disease Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Ciber de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rebeca Piñeiro-Sabarís
- Intercellular Signalling in Cardiovascular Development and Disease Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Ciber de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcos Siguero-Álvarez
- Intercellular Signalling in Cardiovascular Development and Disease Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Ciber de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Joaquím Grego-Bessa
- Intercellular Signalling in Cardiovascular Development and Disease Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Ciber de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Luna-Zurita
- Intercellular Signalling in Cardiovascular Development and Disease Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Ciber de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Vitor Samuel Fernandes
- Intercellular Signalling in Cardiovascular Development and Disease Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Ciber de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Donal MacGrogan
- Intercellular Signalling in Cardiovascular Development and Disease Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Ciber de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Didier Y. R. Stainier
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - José Luis de la Pompa
- Intercellular Signalling in Cardiovascular Development and Disease Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Ciber de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Corresponding author.
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18
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Beck EC, Jarrell DK, Lyons AC, Vanderslice EJ, VeDepo MC, Jacot JG. Assessment of electrospun cardiac patches made with sacrificial particles and polyurethane-polycaprolactone blends. J Biomed Mater Res A 2021; 109:2154-2163. [PMID: 33876870 PMCID: PMC9827500 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.37201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the leading cause of death in live-born infants. Currently, patches used in the repair of CHDs are exclusively inert and non-degradable, which increases the risk of arrhythmia, follow-up surgeries, and sudden cardiac death. In this preliminary study, we sought to fabricate biodegradable scaffolds that can support cardiac regeneration in the repair of CHDs. We electrospun biodegradable scaffolds using various blends of polyurethane (PU) and polycaprolactone (PCL) with and without sacrificial poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) particles and assessed the mechanical properties, cell infiltration levels, and inflammatory response in vitro (surface cell seeding) and in vivo (subcutaneous mouse implant). We hypothesized that a blend of the two polymers would preserve the low stiffness of PU as well as the high cell infiltration observed in PCL scaffolds. The inclusion of PU in the blends, even as low as 10%, decreased cell infiltration both in vitro and in vivo. The inclusion of sacrificial PEO increased pore sizes, reduced Young's moduli, and reduced the inflammatory response in all scaffold types. Collectively, we have concluded that a PCL patch electrospun with sacrificial PEO particles is the most promising scaffold for further assessment as in our heart defect model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C. Beck
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus
| | - Dillon K. Jarrell
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus
| | - Anne C. Lyons
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus
| | - Ethan J. Vanderslice
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus
| | - Mitchell C. VeDepo
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus
| | - Jeffrey G. Jacot
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus,Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Colorado
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19
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Chakraborty S, Allmon E, Sepúlveda MS, Vlachos PP. Haemodynamic dependence of mechano-genetic evolution of the cardiovascular system in Japanese medaka. J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20210752. [PMID: 34699728 PMCID: PMC8548083 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The progression of cardiac gene expression-wall shear stress (WSS) interplay is critical to identifying developmental defects during cardiovascular morphogenesis. However, mechano-genetics from the embryonic to larval stages are poorly understood in vertebrates. We quantified peak WSS in the heart and tail vessels of Japanese medaka from 3 days post fertilization (dpf) to 14 dpf using in vivo micro-particle image velocimetry flow measurements, and in parallel analysed the expression of five cardiac genes (fgf8, hoxb6b, bmp4, nkx2.5, smyd1). Here, we report that WSS in the atrioventricular canal (AVC), ventricular outflow tract (OFT), and the caudal vessels in medaka peak with inflection points at 6 dpf and 10-11 dpf instead of a monotonic trend. Retrograde flows are captured at the AVC and OFT of the medaka heart for the first time. In addition, all genes were upregulated at 3 dpf and 7 dpf, indicating a possible correlation between the two, with the cardiac gene upregulation preceding WSS increase in order to facilitate cardiac wall remodelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreyashi Chakraborty
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Elizabeth Allmon
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Maria S. Sepúlveda
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Pavlos P. Vlachos
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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20
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Shewale B, Dubois N. Of form and function: Early cardiac morphogenesis across classical and emerging model systems. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 118:107-118. [PMID: 33994301 PMCID: PMC8434962 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The heart is the earliest organ to develop during embryogenesis and is remarkable in its ability to function efficiently as it is being sculpted. Cardiac heart defects account for a high burden of childhood developmental disorders with many remaining poorly understood mechanistically. Decades of work across a multitude of model organisms has informed our understanding of early cardiac differentiation and morphogenesis and has simultaneously opened new and unanswered questions. Here we have synthesized current knowledge in the field and reviewed recent developments in the realm of imaging, bioengineering and genetic technology and ex vivo cardiac modeling that may be deployed to generate more holistic models of early cardiac morphogenesis, and by extension, new platforms to study congenital heart defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavana Shewale
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Nicole Dubois
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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21
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Bornhorst D, Abdelilah-Seyfried S. Strong as a Hippo's Heart: Biomechanical Hippo Signaling During Zebrafish Cardiac Development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:731101. [PMID: 34422841 PMCID: PMC8375320 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.731101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The heart is comprised of multiple tissues that contribute to its physiological functions. During development, the growth of myocardium and endocardium is coupled and morphogenetic processes within these separate tissue layers are integrated. Here, we discuss the roles of mechanosensitive Hippo signaling in growth and morphogenesis of the zebrafish heart. Hippo signaling is involved in defining numbers of cardiac progenitor cells derived from the secondary heart field, in restricting the growth of the epicardium, and in guiding trabeculation and outflow tract formation. Recent work also shows that myocardial chamber dimensions serve as a blueprint for Hippo signaling-dependent growth of the endocardium. Evidently, Hippo pathway components act at the crossroads of various signaling pathways involved in embryonic zebrafish heart development. Elucidating how biomechanical Hippo signaling guides heart morphogenesis has direct implications for our understanding of cardiac physiology and pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothee Bornhorst
- Stem Cell Program, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Salim Abdelilah-Seyfried
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.,Institute of Molecular Biology, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
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22
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King O, Sunyovszki I, Terracciano CM. Vascularisation of pluripotent stem cell-derived myocardium: biomechanical insights for physiological relevance in cardiac tissue engineering. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1117-1136. [PMID: 33855631 PMCID: PMC8245389 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02557-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The myocardium is a diverse environment, requiring coordination between a variety of specialised cell types. Biochemical crosstalk between cardiomyocytes (CM) and microvascular endothelial cells (MVEC) is essential to maintain contractility and healthy tissue homeostasis. Yet, as myocytes beat, heterocellular communication occurs also through constantly fluctuating biomechanical stimuli, namely (1) compressive and tensile forces generated directly by the beating myocardium, and (2) pulsatile shear stress caused by intra-microvascular flow. Despite endothelial cells (EC) being highly mechanosensitive, the role of biomechanical stimuli from beating CM as a regulatory mode of myocardial-microvascular crosstalk is relatively unexplored. Given that cardiac biomechanics are dramatically altered during disease, and disruption of myocardial-microvascular communication is a known driver of pathological remodelling, understanding the biomechanical context necessary for healthy myocardial-microvascular interaction is of high importance. The current gap in understanding can largely be attributed to technical limitations associated with reproducing dynamic physiological biomechanics in multicellular in vitro platforms, coupled with limited in vitro viability of primary cardiac tissue. However, differentiation of CM from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) has provided an unlimited source of human myocytes suitable for designing in vitro models. This technology is now converging with the diverse field of tissue engineering, which utilises in vitro techniques designed to enhance physiological relevance, such as biomimetic extracellular matrix (ECM) as 3D scaffolds, microfluidic perfusion of vascularised networks, and complex multicellular architectures generated via 3D bioprinting. These strategies are now allowing researchers to design in vitro platforms which emulate the cell composition, architectures, and biomechanics specific to the myocardial-microvascular microenvironment. Inclusion of physiological multicellularity and biomechanics may also induce a more mature phenotype in stem cell-derived CM, further enhancing their value. This review aims to highlight the importance of biomechanical stimuli as determinants of CM-EC crosstalk in cardiac health and disease, and to explore emerging tissue engineering and hPSC technologies which can recapitulate physiological dynamics to enhance the value of in vitro cardiac experimentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oisín King
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, ICTEM 4th floor, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
| | - Ilona Sunyovszki
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, ICTEM 4th floor, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Cesare M Terracciano
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, ICTEM 4th floor, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
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23
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Smith KA, Uribe V. Getting to the Heart of Left-Right Asymmetry: Contributions from the Zebrafish Model. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2021; 8:64. [PMID: 34199828 PMCID: PMC8230053 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd8060064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The heart is laterally asymmetric. Not only is it positioned on the left side of the body but the organ itself is asymmetric. This patterning occurs across scales: at the organism level, through left-right axis patterning; at the organ level, where the heart itself exhibits left-right asymmetry; at the cellular level, where gene expression, deposition of matrix and proteins and cell behaviour are asymmetric; and at the molecular level, with chirality of molecules. Defective left-right patterning has dire consequences on multiple organs; however, mortality and morbidity arising from disrupted laterality is usually attributed to complex cardiac defects, bringing into focus the particulars of left-right patterning of the heart. Laterality defects impact how the heart integrates and connects with neighbouring organs, but the anatomy of the heart is also affected because of its asymmetry. Genetic studies have demonstrated that cardiac asymmetry is influenced by left-right axis patterning and yet the heart also possesses intrinsic laterality, reinforcing the patterning of this organ. These inputs into cardiac patterning are established at the very onset of left-right patterning (formation of the left-right organiser) and continue through propagation of left-right signals across animal axes, asymmetric differentiation of the cardiac fields, lateralised tube formation and asymmetric looping morphogenesis. In this review, we will discuss how left-right asymmetry is established and how that influences subsequent asymmetric development of the early embryonic heart. In keeping with the theme of this issue, we will focus on advancements made through studies using the zebrafish model and describe how its use has contributed considerable knowledge to our understanding of the patterning of the heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A. Smith
- Department of Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia;
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24
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El Azhar Y, Sonnen KF. Development in a Dish- In Vitro Models of Mammalian Embryonic Development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:655993. [PMID: 34113614 PMCID: PMC8185301 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.655993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of research, the complex processes of embryonic development are not fully understood. The study of mammalian development poses particular challenges such as low numbers of embryos, difficulties in culturing embryos in vitro, and the time to generate mutant lines. With new approaches we can now address questions that had to remain unanswered in the past. One big contribution to studying the molecular mechanisms of development are two- and three-dimensional in vitro model systems derived from pluripotent stem cells. These models, such as blastoids, gastruloids, and organoids, enable high-throughput screens and straightforward gene editing for functional testing without the need to generate mutant model organisms. Furthermore, their use reduces the number of animals needed for research and allows the study of human development. Here, we outline and discuss recent advances in such in vitro model systems to investigate pre-implantation and post-implantation development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmine El Azhar
- Hubrecht Institute, KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Katharina F Sonnen
- Hubrecht Institute, KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
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25
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Hofbauer P, Jahnel SM, Papai N, Giesshammer M, Deyett A, Schmidt C, Penc M, Tavernini K, Grdseloff N, Meledeth C, Ginistrelli LC, Ctortecka C, Šalic Š, Novatchkova M, Mendjan S. Cardioids reveal self-organizing principles of human cardiogenesis. Cell 2021; 184:3299-3317.e22. [PMID: 34019794 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 66.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Organoids capable of forming tissue-like structures have transformed our ability to model human development and disease. With the notable exception of the human heart, lineage-specific self-organizing organoids have been reported for all major organs. Here, we established self-organizing cardioids from human pluripotent stem cells that intrinsically specify, pattern, and morph into chamber-like structures containing a cavity. Cardioid complexity can be controlled by signaling that instructs the separation of cardiomyocyte and endothelial layers and by directing epicardial spreading, inward migration, and differentiation. We find that cavity morphogenesis is governed by a mesodermal WNT-BMP signaling axis and requires its target HAND1, a transcription factor linked to developmental heart chamber defects. Upon cryoinjury, cardioids initiated a cell-type-dependent accumulation of extracellular matrix, an early hallmark of both regeneration and heart disease. Thus, human cardioids represent a powerful platform to mechanistically dissect self-organization, congenital heart defects and serve as a foundation for future translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Hofbauer
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan M Jahnel
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nora Papai
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Magdalena Giesshammer
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alison Deyett
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Clara Schmidt
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Mirjam Penc
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Katherina Tavernini
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nastasja Grdseloff
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christy Meledeth
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lavinia Ceci Ginistrelli
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Claudia Ctortecka
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Šejla Šalic
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria Novatchkova
- Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sasha Mendjan
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter, Dr. Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria.
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26
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Lowe V, Wisniewski L, Pellet-Many C. The Zebrafish Cardiac Endothelial Cell-Roles in Development and Regeneration. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2021; 8:jcdd8050049. [PMID: 34062899 PMCID: PMC8147271 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd8050049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In zebrafish, the spatiotemporal development of the vascular system is well described due to its stereotypical nature. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms orchestrating post-embryonic vascular development, the maintenance of vascular homeostasis, or how coronary vessels integrate into the growing heart are less well studied. In the context of cardiac regeneration, the central cellular mechanism by which the heart regenerates a fully functional myocardium relies on the proliferation of pre-existing cardiomyocytes; the epicardium and the endocardium are also known to play key roles in the regenerative process. Remarkably, revascularisation of the injured tissue occurs within a few hours after cardiac damage, thus generating a vascular network acting as a scaffold for the regenerating myocardium. The activation of the endocardium leads to the secretion of cytokines, further supporting the proliferation of the cardiomyocytes. Although epicardium, endocardium, and myocardium interact with each other to orchestrate heart development and regeneration, in this review, we focus on recent advances in the understanding of the development of the endocardium and the coronary vasculature in zebrafish as well as their pivotal roles in the heart regeneration process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Lowe
- Heart Centre, Barts & The London School of Medicine, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK;
| | - Laura Wisniewski
- Centre for Tumour Microenvironment, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University London, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK;
| | - Caroline Pellet-Many
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, 4 Royal College Street, London NW1 0TU, UK
- Correspondence:
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27
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Kemmler CL, Riemslagh FW, Moran HR, Mosimann C. From Stripes to a Beating Heart: Early Cardiac Development in Zebrafish. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2021; 8:17. [PMID: 33578943 PMCID: PMC7916704 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd8020017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The heart is the first functional organ to form during vertebrate development. Congenital heart defects are the most common type of human birth defect, many originating as anomalies in early heart development. The zebrafish model provides an accessible vertebrate system to study early heart morphogenesis and to gain new insights into the mechanisms of congenital disease. Although composed of only two chambers compared with the four-chambered mammalian heart, the zebrafish heart integrates the core processes and cellular lineages central to cardiac development across vertebrates. The rapid, translucent development of zebrafish is amenable to in vivo imaging and genetic lineage tracing techniques, providing versatile tools to study heart field migration and myocardial progenitor addition and differentiation. Combining transgenic reporters with rapid genome engineering via CRISPR-Cas9 allows for functional testing of candidate genes associated with congenital heart defects and the discovery of molecular causes leading to observed phenotypes. Here, we summarize key insights gained through zebrafish studies into the early patterning of uncommitted lateral plate mesoderm into cardiac progenitors and their regulation. We review the central genetic mechanisms, available tools, and approaches for modeling congenital heart anomalies in the zebrafish as a representative vertebrate model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Christian Mosimann
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (C.L.K.); (F.W.R.); (H.R.M.)
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28
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Mikryukov AA, Mazine A, Wei B, Yang D, Miao Y, Gu M, Keller GM. BMP10 Signaling Promotes the Development of Endocardial Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiovascular Progenitors. Cell Stem Cell 2020; 28:96-111.e7. [PMID: 33142114 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2020.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The embryonic endocardium is essential for early heart development as it functions to induce trabecular myocardium, the first heart tissue to form, and is the source of the cells that make up the valves and a portion of the coronary vasculature. With this potential, human endocardial cells could provide unique therapeutic opportunities that include engineering biological valves and cell-based therapy strategies to replace coronary vasculature in damaged hearts. To access human endocardial cells, we generated a human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived endothelial population that displays many characteristics of endocardium, including expression of the cohort of genes that identifies this lineage in vivo, the capacity to induce a trabecular fate in immature cardiomyocytes in vitro, and the ability to undergo an endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Analyses of the signaling pathways required for development of the hPSC-derived endocardial cells identified a novel role for BMP10 in the specification of this lineage from cardiovascular mesoderm.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amine Mazine
- McEwen Stem Cell Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G1L7, Canada; Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G1L7, Canada
| | - Bei Wei
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Donghe Yang
- McEwen Stem Cell Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G1L7, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G1L7, Canada
| | - Yifei Miao
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Perinatal Institute, Division of Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, CuSTOM, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Mingxia Gu
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Perinatal Institute, Division of Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, CuSTOM, Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Gordon M Keller
- McEwen Stem Cell Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G1L7, Canada; Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G1L7, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G1L7, Canada.
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29
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Jarrell DK, Vanderslice EJ, VeDepo MC, Jacot JG. Engineering Myocardium for Heart Regeneration-Advancements, Considerations, and Future Directions. Front Cardiovasc Med 2020; 7:586261. [PMID: 33195474 PMCID: PMC7588355 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2020.586261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States among both adults and infants. In adults, 5-year survival after a heart attack is <60%, and congenital heart defects are the top killer of liveborn infants. Problematically, the regenerative capacity of the heart is extremely limited, even in newborns. Furthermore, suitable donor hearts for transplant cannot meet the demand and require recipients to use immunosuppressants for life. Tissue engineered myocardium has the potential to replace dead or fibrotic heart tissue in adults and could also be used to permanently repair congenital heart defects in infants. In addition, engineering functional myocardium could facilitate the development of a whole bioartificial heart. Here, we review and compare in vitro and in situ myocardial tissue engineering strategies. In the context of this comparison, we consider three challenges that must be addressed in the engineering of myocardial tissue: recapitulation of myocardial architecture, vascularization of the tissue, and modulation of the immune system. In addition to reviewing and analyzing current progress, we recommend specific strategies for the generation of tissue engineered myocardial patches for heart regeneration and repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillon K Jarrell
- Jacot Laboratory for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Ethan J Vanderslice
- Jacot Laboratory for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Mitchell C VeDepo
- Jacot Laboratory for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Jeffrey G Jacot
- Jacot Laboratory for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
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30
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Tsata V, Beis D. In Full Force. Mechanotransduction and Morphogenesis during Homeostasis and Tissue Regeneration. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2020; 7:jcdd7040040. [PMID: 33019569 PMCID: PMC7711708 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd7040040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The interactions of form and function have been the focus of numerous studies in the context of development and more recently regeneration. Our understanding on how cells, tissues and organs sense and interpret external cues, such as mechanical forces, is becoming deeper as novel techniques in imaging are applied and the relevant signaling pathways emerge. These cellular responses can be found from bacteria to all multicellular organisms such as plants and animals. In this review, we focus on hemodynamic flow and endothelial shear stress during cardiovascular development and regeneration, where the interactions of morphogenesis and proper function are more prominent. In addition, we address the recent literature on the role of extracellular matrix and fibrotic response during tissue repair and regeneration. Finally, we refer to examples where the integration of multi-disciplinary approaches to understand the biomechanics of cellular responses could be utilized in novel medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Tsata
- Correspondence: (V.T.); (D.B.); Tel.: +3021-0659-7439 (V.T. & D.B.)
| | - Dimitris Beis
- Correspondence: (V.T.); (D.B.); Tel.: +3021-0659-7439 (V.T. & D.B.)
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31
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RNA binding proteins: Linking mechanotransduction and tumor metastasis. Cancer Lett 2020; 496:30-40. [PMID: 33007411 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Mechanotransduction is the leading cellular process that mammalian cells adopted to receive and respond to various mechanical cues from their local microenvironment. Increasing evidence suggests that mechano-transduction is involved in many physiological and disease conditions, ranging from early embryonic development, organogenesis, to a variety of human diseases including cancer. Mechanotransduction is mediated through several classes of senor proteins on the cell surface, intracellular signaling mediators, and core transcriptional regulation networks. Dissecting the molecular mechanisms regulating mechanotransduction and their association with cancer metastasis has received much attention in recent years. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) are a special group of nucleic acid interacting factors that participate in many important cellular processes. In this review, we would like to summarize recent research progresses in understanding the role of RBPs-mediated regulation in mechanotransduction and cancer metastasis. Those intriguing findings will provide novel insights for the disease and guide the potential development of new therapeutic approaches.
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32
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Gendernalik A, Zebhi B, Ahuja N, Garrity D, Bark D. In Vivo Pressurization of the Zebrafish Embryonic Heart as a Tool to Characterize Tissue Properties During Development. Ann Biomed Eng 2020; 49:834-845. [PMID: 32959136 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-020-02619-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cardiac morphogenesis requires an intricate orchestration of mechanical stress to sculpt the heart as it transitions from a straight tube to a multichambered adult heart. Mechanical properties are fundamental to this process, involved in a complex interplay with function, morphology, and mechanotransduction. In the current work, we propose a pressurization technique applied to the zebrafish atrium to quantify mechanical properties of the myocardium under passive tension. By further measuring deformation, we obtain a pressure-stretch relationship that is used to identify constitutive models of the zebrafish embryonic cardiac tissue. Two-dimensional results are compared with a three-dimensional finite element analysis based on reconstructed embryonic heart geometry. Through these steps, we found that the myocardium of zebrafish results in a stiffness on the order of 10 kPa immediately after the looping stage of development. This work enables the ability to determine how these properties change under normal and pathological heart development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Gendernalik
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Banafsheh Zebhi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Room 304 Scott Building, 1374 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1374, USA
| | - Neha Ahuja
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Deborah Garrity
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.,Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - David Bark
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA. .,Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Room 304 Scott Building, 1374 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1374, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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Flinn MA, Otten C, Brandt ZJ, Bostrom JR, Kenarsary A, Wan TC, Auchampach JA, Abdelilah-Seyfried S, O'Meara CC, Link BA. Llgl1 regulates zebrafish cardiac development by mediating Yap stability in cardiomyocytes. Development 2020; 147:147/16/dev193581. [PMID: 32843528 DOI: 10.1242/dev.193581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The Hippo-Yap pathway regulates multiple cellular processes in response to mechanical and other stimuli. In Drosophila, the polarity protein Lethal (2) giant larvae [L(2)gl], negatively regulates Hippo-mediated transcriptional output. However, in vertebrates, little is known about its homolog Llgl1. Here, we define a novel role for vertebrate Llgl1 in regulating Yap stability in cardiomyocytes, which impacts heart development. In contrast to the role of Drosophila L(2)gl, Llgl1 depletion in cultured rat cardiomyocytes decreased Yap protein levels and blunted target gene transcription without affecting Yap transcript abundance. Llgl1 depletion in zebrafish resulted in larger and dysmorphic cardiomyocytes, pericardial effusion, impaired blood flow and aberrant valvulogenesis. Cardiomyocyte Yap protein levels were decreased in llgl1 morphants, whereas Notch, which is regulated by hemodynamic forces and participates in valvulogenesis, was more broadly activated. Consistent with the role of Llgl1 in regulating Yap stability, cardiomyocyte-specific overexpression of Yap in Llgl1-depleted embryos ameliorated pericardial effusion and restored blood flow velocity. Altogether, our data reveal that vertebrate Llgl1 is crucial for Yap stability in cardiomyocytes and its absence impairs cardiac development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Flinn
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.,Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Cécile Otten
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Zachary J Brandt
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.,Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Jonathan R Bostrom
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.,Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Aria Kenarsary
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.,Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.,Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.,Genomics Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Tina C Wan
- Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - John A Auchampach
- Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Salim Abdelilah-Seyfried
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.,Institute for Molecular Biology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Caitlin C O'Meara
- Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.,Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.,Genomics Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Brian A Link
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA .,Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
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Wang S, Larina IV. Live mechanistic assessment of localized cardiac pumping in mammalian tubular embryonic heart. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2020; 25:1-19. [PMID: 32762173 PMCID: PMC7403774 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.25.8.086001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Understanding how the valveless embryonic heart pumps blood is essential to elucidate biomechanical cues regulating cardiogenesis, which is important for the advancement of congenital heart defects research. However, methods capable of embryonic cardiac pumping analysis remain limited, and assessing this highly dynamic process in mammalian embryos is challenging. New approaches are critically needed to address this hurdle. AIM We report an imaging-based approach for functional assessment of localized pumping dynamics in the early tubular embryonic mouse heart. APPROACH Four-dimensional optical coherence tomography was used to obtain structural and Doppler hemodynamic imaging of the beating heart in live mouse embryos at embryonic day 9.25. The pumping assessment was performed based on the volumetric blood flow rate, flow resistance within the heart tube, and pressure gradient induced by heart wall movements. The relation between the blood flow, the pressure gradient, and the resistance to flow were evaluated through temporal analyses and Granger causality test. RESULTS In the ventricles, our method revealed connections between the temporal profiles of pressure gradient and volumetric blood flow rate. Statistically significant causal relation from the pressure gradient to the blood flow was demonstrated. Our analysis also suggests that cardiac pumping in the early ventricles is a combination of suction and pushing. In contrast, in the outflow tract, where the conduction wave is slower than the blood flow, we did not find significant causal relation from pressure to flow, suggesting that, different from ventricular regions, the local active contraction of the outflow tract is unlikely to drive the flow in that region. CONCLUSIONS We present an imaging-based approach that enables localized assessment of pumping dynamics in the mouse tubular embryonic heart. This method creates a new opportunity for functional analysis of the pumping mechanism underlying the developing mammalian heart at early stages and could be useful for studying biomechanical changes in mutant embryonic hearts that model congenital heart defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shang Wang
- Stevens Institute of Technology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA
| | - Irina V. Larina
- Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Houston, Texas, USA
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35
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Collier MP, Benesch JLP. Small heat-shock proteins and their role in mechanical stress. Cell Stress Chaperones 2020; 25:601-613. [PMID: 32253742 PMCID: PMC7332611 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-020-01095-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of cells to respond to stress is central to health. Stress can damage folded proteins, which are vulnerable to even minor changes in cellular conditions. To maintain proteostasis, cells have developed an intricate network in which molecular chaperones are key players. The small heat-shock proteins (sHSPs) are a widespread family of molecular chaperones, and some sHSPs are prominent in muscle, where cells and proteins must withstand high levels of applied force. sHSPs have long been thought to act as general interceptors of protein aggregation. However, evidence is accumulating that points to a more specific role for sHSPs in protecting proteins from mechanical stress. Here, we briefly introduce the sHSPs and outline the evidence for their role in responses to mechanical stress. We suggest that sHSPs interact with mechanosensitive proteins to regulate physiological extension and contraction cycles. It is likely that further study of these interactions - enabled by the development of experimental methodologies that allow protein contacts to be studied under the application of mechanical force - will expand our understanding of the activity and functions of sHSPs, and of the roles played by chaperones in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda P Collier
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, 318 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Justin L P Benesch
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK.
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Biomechanical Cues Direct Valvulogenesis. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2020; 7:jcdd7020018. [PMID: 32438610 PMCID: PMC7345189 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd7020018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate embryonic heart initially forms with two chambers, a ventricle and an atrium, separated by the atrioventricular junction. Localized genetic and biomechanical information guides the development of valves, which function to ensure unidirectional blood flow. If the valve development process goes awry, pathology associated with congenital valve defects can ensue. Congenital valve defects (CVD) are estimated to affect 1–2% of the population and can often require a lifetime of treatment. Despite significant clinical interest, molecular genetic mechanisms that direct valve development remain incompletely elucidated. Cells in the developing valve must contend with a dynamic hemodynamic environment. A growing body of research supports the idea that cells in the valve are highly sensitive to biomechanical forces, which cue changes in gene expression required for normal development or for maintenance of the adult valve. This review will focus on mechanotransductive pathways involved in valve development across model species. We highlight current knowledge regarding how cells sense physical forces associated with blood flow and pressure in the forming heart, and summarize how these changes are transduced into genetic and developmental responses. Lastly, we provide perspectives on how altered biomechanical cues may lead to CVD pathogenesis.
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Borasch K, Richardson K, Plendl J. Cardiogenesis with a focus on vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. Anat Histol Embryol 2020; 49:643-655. [PMID: 32319704 DOI: 10.1111/ahe.12549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The initial intraembryonic vasculogenesis occurs in the cardiogenic mesoderm. Here, a cell population of proendocardial cells detaches from the mesoderm that subsequently generates the single endocardial tube by forming vascular plexuses. In the course of embryogenesis, the endocardium retains vasculogenic, angiogenic and haematopoietic potential. The coronary blood vessels that sustain the rapidly expanding myocardium develop in the course of the formation of the cardiac loop by vasculogenesis and angiogenesis from progenitor cells of the proepicardial serosa at the venous pole of the heart as well as from the endocardium and endothelial cells of the sinus venosus. Prospective coronary endothelial cells and progenitor cells of the coronary blood vessel walls (smooth muscle cells, perivascular cells) originate from different cell populations that are in close spatial as well as regulatory connection with each other. Vasculo- and angiogenesis of the coronary blood vessels are for a large part regulated by the epicardium and epicardium-derived cells. Vasculogenic and angiogenic signalling pathways include the vascular endothelial growth factors, the angiopoietins and the fibroblast growth factors and their receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Borasch
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Freie University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kenneth Richardson
- College of Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
| | - Johanna Plendl
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Freie University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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38
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Biomechanical signaling within the developing zebrafish heart attunes endocardial growth to myocardial chamber dimensions. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4113. [PMID: 31511517 PMCID: PMC6739419 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12068-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Intra-organ communication guides morphogenetic processes that are essential for an organ to carry out complex physiological functions. In the heart, the growth of the myocardium is tightly coupled to that of the endocardium, a specialized endothelial tissue that lines its interior. Several molecular pathways have been implicated in the communication between these tissues including secreted factors, components of the extracellular matrix, or proteins involved in cell-cell communication. Yet, it is unknown how the growth of the endocardium is coordinated with that of the myocardium. Here, we show that an increased expansion of the myocardial atrial chamber volume generates higher junctional forces within endocardial cells. This leads to biomechanical signaling involving VE-cadherin, triggering nuclear localization of the Hippo pathway transcriptional regulator Yap1 and endocardial proliferation. Our work suggests that the growth of the endocardium results from myocardial chamber volume expansion and ends when the tension on the tissue is relaxed. It is unknown how endocardium growth is coordinated with that of the myocardium in the zebrafish. Here, the authors show that myocardial chamber volume expansion causes increased endocardial tissue tension, which in turn triggers Hippo signaling-mediated proliferation within the endocardium.
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39
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Epigenetics and Mechanobiology in Heart Development and Congenital Heart Disease. Diseases 2019; 7:diseases7030052. [PMID: 31480510 PMCID: PMC6787645 DOI: 10.3390/diseases7030052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect worldwide and the number one killer of live-born infants in the United States. Heart development occurs early in embryogenesis and involves complex interactions between multiple cell populations, limiting the understanding and consequent treatment of CHD. Furthermore, genome sequencing has largely failed to predict or yield therapeutics for CHD. In addition to the underlying genome, epigenetics and mechanobiology both drive heart development. A growing body of evidence implicates the aberrant regulation of these two extra-genomic systems in the pathogenesis of CHD. In this review, we describe the stages of human heart development and the heart defects known to manifest at each stage. Next, we discuss the distinct and overlapping roles of epigenetics and mechanobiology in normal development and in the pathogenesis of CHD. Finally, we highlight recent advances in the identification of novel epigenetic biomarkers and environmental risk factors that may be useful for improved diagnosis and further elucidation of CHD etiology.
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40
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Foo YY, Pant S, Tay HS, Imangali N, Chen N, Winkler C, Yap CH. 4D modelling of fluid mechanics in the zebrafish embryonic heart. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2019; 19:221-232. [PMID: 31446522 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-019-01205-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal blood flow mechanics can result in pathological heart malformation, underlining the importance of understanding embryonic cardiac fluid mechanics. In the current study, we performed image-based computational fluid dynamics simulation of the zebrafish embryonic heart ventricles and characterized flow mechanics, organ dynamics, and energy dynamics in detail. 4D scans of 5 days post-fertilization embryonic hearts with GFP-labelled myocardium were acquired using line-scan focal modulation microscopy. This revealed that the zebrafish hearts exhibited a wave-like contractile/relaxation motion from the inlet to the outlet during both systole and diastole, which we showed to be an energy efficient configuration. No impedance pumping effects of pressure and velocity waves were observed. Due to its tube-like configuration, inflow velocities were higher near the inlet and smaller at the outlet and vice versa for outflow velocities. This resulted in an interesting spatial wall shear stress (WSS) pattern where WSS waveforms near the inlet and those near the outlet were out of phase. There was large spatial variability in WSS magnitudes. Peak WSS was in the range of 47.5-130 dyne/cm2 at the inflow and outflow tracts, but were much smaller, in the range of 4-11 dyne/cm2, in the mid-ventricular segment. Due to very low Reynolds number and the highly viscous environment, intraventricular pressure gradients were high, suggesting substantial energy losses of flow through the heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoke Yin Foo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shilpa Pant
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Huiping Shermaine Tay
- Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nurgul Imangali
- Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nanguang Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Christoph Winkler
- Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Choon Hwai Yap
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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41
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Schroer A, Pardon G, Castillo E, Blair C, Pruitt B. Engineering hiPSC cardiomyocyte in vitro model systems for functional and structural assessment. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 144:3-15. [PMID: 30579630 PMCID: PMC6919215 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2018] [Revised: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The study of human cardiomyopathies and the development and testing of new therapies has long been limited by the availability of appropriate in vitro model systems. Cardiomyocytes are highly specialized cells whose internal structure and contractile function are sensitive to the local microenvironment and the combination of mechanical and biochemical cues they receive. The complementary technologies of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) derived cardiomyocytes (CMs) and microphysiological systems (MPS) allow for precise control of the genetics and microenvironment of human cells in in vitro contexts. These combined systems also enable quantitative measurement of mechanical function and intracellular organization. This review describes relevant factors in the myocardium microenvironment that affect CM structure and mechanical function and demonstrates the application of several engineered microphysiological systems for studying development, disease, and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Schroer
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Gaspard Pardon
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Erica Castillo
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA; Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California at Santa Barbara, USA
| | - Cheavar Blair
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA; Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California at Santa Barbara, USA
| | - Beth Pruitt
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA; Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California at Santa Barbara, USA
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42
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Vortex Dynamics in Trabeculated Embryonic Ventricles. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2019; 6:jcdd6010006. [PMID: 30678229 PMCID: PMC6463151 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd6010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Proper heart morphogenesis requires a delicate balance between hemodynamic forces, myocardial activity, morphogen gradients, and epigenetic signaling, all of which are coupled with genetic regulatory networks. Recently both in vivo and in silico studies have tried to better understand hemodynamics at varying stages of veretebrate cardiogenesis. In particular, the intracardial hemodynamics during the onset of trabeculation is notably complex—the inertial and viscous fluid forces are approximately equal at this stage and small perturbations in morphology, scale, and steadiness of the flow can lead to significant changes in bulk flow structures, shear stress distributions, and chemical morphogen gradients. The immersed boundary method was used to numerically simulate fluid flow through simplified two-dimensional and stationary trabeculated ventricles of 72, 80, and 120 h post fertilization wild type zebrafish embryos and ErbB2-inhibited embryos at seven days post fertilization. A 2D idealized trabeculated ventricular model was also used to map the bifurcations in flow structure that occur as a result of the unsteadiness of flow, trabeculae height, and fluid scale (Re). Vortex formation occurred in intertrabecular regions for biologically relevant parameter spaces, wherein flow velocities increased. This indicates that trabecular morphology may alter intracardial flow patterns and hence ventricular shear stresses and morphogen gradients. A potential implication of this work is that the onset of vortical (disturbed) flows can upregulate Notch1 expression in endothelial cells in vivo and hence impacts chamber morphogenesis, valvulogenesis, and the formation of the trabeculae themselves. Our results also highlight the sensitivity of cardiac flow patterns to changes in morphology and blood rheology, motivating efforts to obtain spatially and temporally resolved chamber geometries and kinematics as well as the careful measurement of the embryonic blood rheology. The results also suggest that there may be significant changes in shear signalling due to morphological and mechanical variation across individuals and species.
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Abstract
Heart formation involves a complex series of tissue rearrangements, during which regions of the developing organ expand, bend, converge, and protrude in order to create the specific shapes of important cardiac components. Much of this morphogenesis takes place while cardiac function is underway, with blood flowing through the rapidly contracting chambers. Fluid forces are therefore likely to influence the regulation of cardiac morphogenesis, but it is not yet clear how these biomechanical cues direct specific cellular behaviors. In recent years, the optical accessibility and genetic amenability of zebrafish embryos have facilitated unique opportunities to integrate the analysis of flow parameters with the molecular and cellular dynamics underlying cardiogenesis. Consequently, we are making progress toward a comprehensive view of the biomechanical regulation of cardiac chamber emergence, atrioventricular canal differentiation, and ventricular trabeculation. In this review, we highlight a series of studies in zebrafish that have provided new insight into how cardiac function can shape cardiac morphology, with a particular focus on how hemodynamics can impact cardiac cell behavior. Over the long-term, this knowledge will undoubtedly guide our consideration of the potential causes of congenital heart disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Sidhwani
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Deborah Yelon
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, United States.
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44
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Paolini A, Abdelilah-Seyfried S. The mechanobiology of zebrafish cardiac valve leaflet formation. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2018; 55:52-58. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2018.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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45
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smarce1 mutants have a defective endocardium and an increased expression of cardiac transcription factors in zebrafish. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15369. [PMID: 30337622 PMCID: PMC6194089 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33746-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
SWI/SNF or BAF chromatin-remodeling complexes are polymorphic assemblies of homologous subunit families that remodel nucleosomes and facilitate tissue-specific gene regulation during development. BAF57/SMARCE1 is a BAF complex subunit encoded in animals by a single gene and is a component of all mammalian BAF complexes. In vivo, the loss of SMARCE1 would lead to the formation of deficient combinations of the complex which might present limited remodeling activities. To address the specific contribution of SMARCE1 to the function of the BAF complex, we generated CRISPR/Cas9 mutations of smarce1 in zebrafish. Smarce1 mutants showed visible defects at 72 hpf, including smaller eyes, abnormal body curvature and heart abnormalities. Gene expression analysis revealed that the mutant embryos displayed defects in endocardial development since early stages, which led to the formation of a misshapen heart tube. The severe morphological and functional cardiac problems observed at 4 dpf were correlated with the substantially increased expression of different cardiac transcription factors. Additionally, we showed that Smarce1 binds to cis-regulatory regions of the gata5 gene and is necessary for the recruitment of the BAF complex to these regions.
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46
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George RM, Firulli AB. Hand Factors in Cardiac Development. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2018; 302:101-107. [PMID: 30288953 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2017] [Revised: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Congenital heart defects account for 1% of infant mortality and 10% of in utero deaths. As the vertebrate embryo develops, multiple tissue types develop in tandem to morphologically pattern the functional heart. Underlying cardiac development is a network of transcription factors known to tightly control these morphological events. Members of the Twist family of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors, Hand1 and Hand2, are essential to this process. The expression patterns and functional role of Hand factors in neural crest cells, endocardium, myocardium, and epicardium is indicative of their importance during cardiogenesis; however, to date, an extensive understanding of the transcriptional targets of Hand proteins and their overall mechanism of action remain unclear. In this review, we summarize the recent findings that further outline the crucial functions of Hand factors during heart development and in post-natal heart function. Anat Rec, 302:101-107, 2019. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajani M George
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research Department of Pediatrics, Anatomy, Biochemistry, Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Anthony B Firulli
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research Department of Pediatrics, Anatomy, Biochemistry, Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
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Courchaine K, Rugonyi S. Quantifying blood flow dynamics during cardiac development: demystifying computational methods. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170330. [PMID: 30249779 PMCID: PMC6158206 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood flow conditions (haemodynamics) are crucial for proper cardiovascular development. Indeed, blood flow induces biomechanical adaptations and mechanotransduction signalling that influence cardiovascular growth and development during embryonic stages and beyond. Altered blood flow conditions are a hallmark of congenital heart disease, and disrupted blood flow at early embryonic stages is known to lead to congenital heart malformations. In spite of this, many of the mechanisms by which blood flow mechanics affect cardiovascular development remain unknown. This is due in part to the challenges involved in quantifying blood flow dynamics and the forces exerted by blood flow on developing cardiovascular tissues. Recent technologies, however, have allowed precise measurement of blood flow parameters and cardiovascular geometry even at early embryonic stages. Combined with computational fluid dynamics techniques, it is possible to quantify haemodynamic parameters and their changes over development, which is a crucial step in the quest for understanding the role of mechanical cues on heart and vascular formation. This study summarizes some fundamental aspects of modelling blood flow dynamics, with a focus on three-dimensional modelling techniques, and discusses relevant studies that are revealing the details of blood flow and their influence on cardiovascular development.This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Mechanics of development'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Courchaine
- Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Sandra Rugonyi
- Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
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Courchaine K, Rykiel G, Rugonyi S. Influence of blood flow on cardiac development. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 137:95-110. [PMID: 29772208 PMCID: PMC6109420 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2018.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Revised: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The role of hemodynamics in cardiovascular development is not well understood. Indeed, it would be remarkable if it were, given the dauntingly complex array of intricately synchronized genetic, molecular, mechanical, and environmental factors at play. However, with congenital heart defects affecting around 1 in 100 human births, and numerous studies pointing to hemodynamics as a factor in cardiovascular morphogenesis, this is not an area in which we can afford to remain in the dark. This review seeks to present the case for the importance of research into the biomechanics of the developing cardiovascular system. This is accomplished by i) illustrating the basics of some of the highly complex processes involved in heart development, and discussing the known influence of hemodynamics on those processes; ii) demonstrating how altered hemodynamic environments have the potential to bring about morphological anomalies, citing studies in multiple animal models with a variety of perturbation methods; iii) providing examples of widely used technological innovations which allow for accurate measurement of hemodynamic parameters in embryos; iv) detailing the results of studies in avian embryos which point to exciting correlations between various hemodynamic manipulations in early development and phenotypic defect incidence in mature hearts; and finally, v) stressing the relevance of uncovering specific biomechanical pathways involved in cardiovascular formation and remodeling under adverse conditions, to the potential treatment of human patients. The time is ripe to unravel the contributions of hemodynamics to cardiac development, and to recognize their frequently neglected role in the occurrence of heart malformation phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Courchaine
- Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland OR, USA
| | - Graham Rykiel
- Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland OR, USA
| | - Sandra Rugonyi
- Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland OR, USA.
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Segert J, Schneider I, Berger IM, Rottbauer W, Just S. Mediator complex subunit Med12 regulates cardiac jelly development and AV valve formation in zebrafish. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 138:20-31. [PMID: 30036562 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2018.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The molecular mechanism essential for the formation of heart valves involves complex interactions of signaling molecules and transcription factors. The Mediator Complex (MC) functions as multi-subunit machinery to orchestrate gene transcription, especially for tissue-specific fine-tuning of transcriptional processes during development, also in the heart. Here, we analyzed the role of the MC subunit Med12 during atrioventricular canal (AVC) development and endocardial cushion formation, using the Med12-deficient zebrafish mutant trapped (tpd). Whereas primary heart formation was only slightly affected in tpd, we identified defects in AVC development and cardiac jelly formation. We found that although misexpression of bmp4 and versican in tpd hearts can be restored by overexpression of a modified version of the Sox9b transcription factor (harboring VP16 transactivation domain) that functions independent of its co-activator Med12, endocardial cushion development in tpd was not reconstituted. Interestingly, expression of tbx2b and its target hyaluronan synthase 2 (has2) - the synthase of hyaluronan (HA) in the heart - was absent in both uninjected and Sox9b-VP16 overexpressing tpd hearts. HA is a major ECM component of the cardiac jelly and required for endocardial cushion formation. Furthermore, we found secreted phosphoprotein 1 (spp1), an endocardial marker of activated AV endocardial cells, completely absent in tpd hearts, suggesting that crucial steps of the transformation of AV endocardial cells into endocardial cushions is blocked. We demonstrate that Med12 controls cardiac jelly formation Sox9-independently by regulating tbx2b and has2 expression and therefore the production of the glycosaminoglycan HA at the AVC to guarantee proper endocardial cushion development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Segert
- Molecular Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Isabelle Schneider
- Molecular Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ina M Berger
- Molecular Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Steffen Just
- Molecular Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
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Mohl W, Henry TD, Milasinovic D, Nguemo F, Hescheler J, Perin EC. From state-of-the-art cell therapy to endogenous cardiac repair. EUROINTERVENTION 2018; 13:760-772. [PMID: 28844036 DOI: 10.4244/eij-d-17-00467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Clinical heart failure prevention and contemporary therapy often involve breaking the vicious cycle of global haemodynamic consequences of myocardial decay. The lack of effective regenerative therapies results in a primary focus on preventing further deterioration of cardiac performance. The cellular transplantation hypothesis has been evaluated in many different preclinical models and a handful of important clinical trials. The primary expectation that cellular transplants will be embedded into failing myocardium and fuse with existing functioning cells appears unlikely. A multitude of cellular formulas, access routes and clinical surrogate endpoints for evaluation add to the complexity of cellular therapies. Several recent large clinical trials have provided insights into both the regenerative potential and clinical improvement from non-regenerative mechanisms. Initiating endogenous repair seems to be another meaningful alternative to recover structural integrity in myocardial injury. This option may be achieved using a transcoronary sinus catheter intervention, implying the understanding of basic principles in biology. With intermittent reduction of outflow in cardiac veins (PICSO), vascular cells appear to be activated and restart a programme similar to pathways in the developing heart. Structural regeneration may be possible without requiring exogenous agents, or a combination of both approaches may become clinical reality in the next decade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Werner Mohl
- Department of Cardiac Surgery (Emeritus), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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