scholarly journals Transcriptional Programs and Regeneration Enhancers Underlying Heart Regeneration

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 2
Author(s):  
Ian Begeman ◽  
Junsu Kang
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cardiac Tissue ◽  
Heart Function ◽  
Cardiac Injury ◽  
Cardiac Regeneration ◽  
Scar Tissue ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Entire Body ◽  
Heart Regeneration ◽  
Altered Expression

The heart plays the vital role of propelling blood to the entire body, which is essential to life. While maintaining heart function is critical, adult mammalian hearts poorly regenerate damaged cardiac tissue upon injury and form scar tissue instead. Unlike adult mammals, adult zebrafish can regenerate injured hearts with no sign of scarring, making zebrafish an ideal model system with which to study the molecular mechanisms underlying heart regeneration. Investigation of heart regeneration in zebrafish together with mice has revealed multiple cardiac regeneration genes that are induced by injury to facilitate heart regeneration. Altered expression of these regeneration genes in adult mammals is one of the main causes of heart regeneration failure. Previous studies have focused on the roles of these regeneration genes, yet the regulatory mechanisms by which the expression of cardiac regeneration genes is precisely controlled are largely unknown. In this review, we will discuss the importance of differential gene expression for heart regeneration, the recent discovery of cardiac injury or regeneration enhancers, and their impact on heart regeneration.

scholarly journals Emerging Roles for Immune Cells and MicroRNAs in Modulating the Response to Cardiac Injury

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Rodriguez ◽  
Viravuth Yin
Keyword(s):  
Immune Cells ◽  
Cardiac Tissue ◽  
Heart Function ◽  
Cardiac Injury ◽  
Scar Tissue ◽  
Acute Injury ◽  
Heart Regeneration ◽  
Cardiomyocyte Proliferation ◽  
Cardiac Damage ◽  
Dynamic Interplay

Stimulating cardiomyocyte regeneration after an acute injury remains the central goal in cardiovascular regenerative biology. While adult mammals respond to cardiac damage with deposition of rigid scar tissue, adult zebrafish and salamander unleash a regenerative program that culminates in new cardiomyocyte formation, resolution of scar tissue, and recovery of heart function. Recent studies have shown that immune cells are key to regulating pro-inflammatory and pro-regenerative signals that shift the injury microenvironment toward regeneration. Defining the genetic regulators that control the dynamic interplay between immune cells and injured cardiac tissue is crucial to decoding the endogenous mechanism of heart regeneration. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of the extent that macrophage and regulatory T cells influence cardiomyocyte proliferation and how microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate their activity in the injured heart.

scholarly journals iPSCs and Exosomes: Partners in Crime Fighting Cardiovascular Diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 529
Author(s):  
Giulia Germena ◽  
Rabea Hinkel
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cardiovascular Diseases ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cardiac Tissue ◽  
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
Cardiac Regeneration ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Heart Regeneration ◽  
Induced Pluripotent

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Understanding the mechanisms at the basis of these diseases is necessary in order to generate therapeutic approaches. Recently, cardiac tissue engineering and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) reprogramming has led to a skyrocketing number of publications describing cardiovascular regeneration as a promising option for cardiovascular disease treatment. Generation of artificial tissue and organoids derived from induced pluripotent stem cells is in the pipeline for regenerative medicine. The present review summarizes the multiple approaches of heart regeneration with a special focus on iPSC application. In particular, we describe the strength of iPSCs as a tool to study the molecular mechanisms driving cardiovascular pathologies, as well as their potential in drug discovery. Moreover, we will describe some insights into novel discoveries of how stem-cell-secreted biomolecules, such as exosomes, could affect cardiac regeneration, and how the fine tuning of the immune system could be a revolutionary tool in the modulation of heart regeneration.

Abstract 17364: G-protein Signaling Regulation of the Hippo Pathway in Neonatal Heart Regeneration

Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masahide Sakabe ◽  
Aishlin Hassan ◽  
Mei Xin
Keyword(s):  
G Protein ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Hippo Pathway ◽  
Cardiac Injury ◽  
Cardiac Regeneration ◽  
Heart Regeneration ◽  
Cardiomyocyte Proliferation ◽  
Adult Age ◽  
Rhoa Activity ◽  
Β Blocker

Introduction: The regeneration potential in the adult mammalian heart is very limited due to the cessation of cardiomyocyte proliferation shortly after birth. Recent studies have revealed that changes after birth such as metabolic state, oxygen level, cardiomyocyte structure and maturity, immune system and polyploidy are among the factors contributing to the loss of the regenerative potential in the heart. The mechanisms that regulate the cardiac regenerative window are not well understood. Here we report that G-protein mediated signaling regulates Hippo-YAP in neonatal cardiomyocyte proliferation and heart regeneration through Rho activity. Hypothesis: Gas encoded by the Gnas gene, a downstream effector of beta-adrenergic receptor (βAR) inhibits cardiomyocyte proliferation via regulation of YAP activity. Methods: We pharmacologically inhibited the G protein coupled receptor mediated β adrenergic signaling with a β-blocker (metoprolol) at early postnatal stages, and genetically by deleting Gnas in the heart with αMHC-Cre. We accessed the cardiomyocyte proliferation, heart regeneration in these mice and elucidated molecular mechanisms. Results: We found that β-blocker enhanced cardiomyocyte proliferation and promoted cardiac regeneration post cardiac injury with improved cardiac function. Consistent with β-blocker treated mice, mice lacking Gnas in cardiomyocytes exhibited enlarged hearts with an increase in cardiomyocyte proliferation. RNA-seq analysis revealed that these cardiomyocytes maintained an immature status even at young-adult age. The genes associated with mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, the major energy source for mature cardiomyocytes, were downregulated. Moreover, YAP activity was upregulated in both cases. We also found that loss of Gαs function caused upregulation of RhoA activity, and inhibitor of Rho signaling pathway suppressed the YAP activity in cardiomyocytes. Conclusions: Our study reveals that Gαs negatively regulate cardiomyocyte proliferation and provides mechanistic insight for β-blocker treatment as a strategy for inducing cardiac dedifferentiation and proliferation in injured heart.

scholarly journals Vertebrate cardiac regeneration: evolutionary and developmental perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Cutie ◽  
Guo N. Huang
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Injury ◽  
Adaptive Immune System ◽  
Cardiac Regeneration ◽  
Heart Regeneration ◽  
Adaptive Immune ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Lower Vertebrates ◽  
Complex Adaptive ◽  
And Function

AbstractCardiac regeneration is an ancestral trait in vertebrates that is lost both as more recent vertebrate lineages evolved to adapt to new environments and selective pressures, and as members of certain species developmentally progress towards their adult forms. While higher vertebrates like humans and rodents resolve cardiac injury with permanent fibrosis and loss of cardiac output as adults, neonates of these same species can fully regenerate heart structure and function after injury – as can adult lower vertebrates like many teleost fish and urodele amphibians. Recent research has elucidated several broad factors hypothesized to contribute to this loss of cardiac regenerative potential both evolutionarily and developmentally: an oxygen-rich environment, vertebrate thermogenesis, a complex adaptive immune system, and cancer risk trade-offs. In this review, we discuss the evidence for these hypotheses as well as the cellular participators and molecular regulators by which they act to govern heart regeneration in vertebrates.

scholarly journals Decoding an organ regeneration switch by dissecting cardiac regeneration enhancers

Development ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 147 (24) ◽  
pp. dev194019
Author(s):  
Ian J. Begeman ◽  
Kwangdeok Shin ◽  
Daniel Osorio-Méndez ◽  
Andrew Kurth ◽  
Nutishia Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Tissue Regeneration ◽  
Cardiac Injury ◽  
Transcriptional Response ◽  
Cardiac Regeneration ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Heart Regeneration ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Organ Regeneration

ABSTRACTHeart regeneration in regeneration-competent organisms can be accomplished through the remodeling of gene expression in response to cardiac injury. This dynamic transcriptional response relies on the activities of tissue regeneration enhancer elements (TREEs); however, the mechanisms underlying TREEs are poorly understood. We dissected a cardiac regeneration enhancer in zebrafish to elucidate the mechanisms governing spatiotemporal gene expression during heart regeneration. Cardiac lepb regeneration enhancer (cLEN) exhibits dynamic, regeneration-dependent activity in the heart. We found that multiple injury-activated regulatory elements are distributed throughout the enhancer region. This analysis also revealed that cardiac regeneration enhancers are not only activated by injury, but surprisingly, they are also actively repressed in the absence of injury. Our data identified a short (22 bp) DNA element containing a key repressive element. Comparative analysis across Danio species indicated that the repressive element is conserved in closely related species. The repression mechanism is not operational during embryogenesis and emerges when the heart begins to mature. Incorporating both activation and repression components into the mechanism of tissue regeneration constitutes a new paradigm that might be extrapolated to other regeneration scenarios.

scholarly journals Covering and Re-Covering the Heart: Development and Regeneration of the Epicardium

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingxi Cao ◽  
Jingli Cao
Keyword(s):  
Heart Development ◽  
Progenitor Cell ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
Cardiac Injury ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Cardiac Repair ◽  
Heart Regeneration ◽  
Epicardial Cells ◽  
Cell Source ◽  
Signaling Center

The epicardium, a mesothelial layer that envelops vertebrate hearts, has become a therapeutic target in cardiac repair strategies because of its vital role in heart development and cardiac injury response. Epicardial cells serve as a progenitor cell source and signaling center during both heart development and regeneration. The importance of the epicardium in cardiac repair strategies has been reemphasized by recent progress regarding its requirement for heart regeneration in zebrafish, and by the ability of patches with epicardial factors to restore cardiac function following myocardial infarction in mammals. The live surveillance of epicardial development and regeneration using zebrafish has provided new insights into this topic. In this review, we provide updated knowledge about epicardial development and regeneration.

scholarly journals Mechanistic basis of neonatal heart regeneration revealed by transcriptome and histone modification profiling

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (37) ◽  
pp. 18455-18465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaoning Wang ◽  
Miao Cui ◽  
Akansha M. Shah ◽  
Wenduo Ye ◽  
Wei Tan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Gene Expression Profiles ◽  
Cardiac Regeneration ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Heart Regeneration ◽  
Cardiomyocyte Proliferation ◽  
Neonatal Heart ◽  
Short Period

The adult mammalian heart has limited capacity for regeneration following injury, whereas the neonatal heart can readily regenerate within a short period after birth. To uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying neonatal heart regeneration, we compared the transcriptomes and epigenomes of regenerative and nonregenerative mouse hearts over a 7-d time period following myocardial infarction injury. By integrating gene expression profiles with histone marks associated with active or repressed chromatin, we identified transcriptional programs underlying neonatal heart regeneration, and the blockade to regeneration in later life. Our results reveal a unique immune response in regenerative hearts and a retained embryonic cardiogenic gene program that is active during neonatal heart regeneration. Among the unique immune factors and embryonic genes associated with cardiac regeneration, we identified Ccl24, which encodes a cytokine, and Igf2bp3, which encodes an RNA-binding protein, as previously unrecognized regulators of cardiomyocyte proliferation. Our data provide insights into the molecular basis of neonatal heart regeneration and identify genes that can be modulated to promote heart regeneration.

Cardiomyocyte proliferation in cardiac development and regeneration: a guide to methodologies and interpretations

2015 ◽  
Vol 309 (8) ◽  
pp. H1237-H1250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Leone ◽  
Ajit Magadum ◽  
Felix B. Engel
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Function ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cardiac Development ◽  
Cardiac Regeneration ◽  
Experimental Medicine ◽  
Heart Regeneration ◽  
Cardiomyocyte Proliferation ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Ability To Regenerate ◽  
Zebrafish Heart

The newt and the zebrafish have the ability to regenerate many of their tissues and organs including the heart. Thus, a major goal in experimental medicine is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the regenerative capacity of these species. A wide variety of experiments have demonstrated that naturally occurring heart regeneration relies on cardiomyocyte proliferation. Thus, major efforts have been invested to induce proliferation of mammalian cardiomyocytes in order to improve cardiac function after injury or to protect the heart from further functional deterioration. In this review, we describe and analyze methods currently used to evaluate cardiomyocyte proliferation. In addition, we summarize the literature on naturally occurring heart regeneration. Our analysis highlights that newt and zebrafish heart regeneration relies on factors that are also utilized in cardiomyocyte proliferation during mammalian fetal development. Most of these factors have, however, failed to induce adult mammalian cardiomyocyte proliferation. Finally, our analysis of mammalian neonatal heart regeneration indicates experiments that could resolve conflicting results in the literature, such as binucleation assays and clonal analysis. Collectively, cardiac regeneration based on cardiomyocyte proliferation is a promising approach for improving adult human cardiac function after injury, but it is important to elucidate the mechanisms arresting mammalian cardiomyocyte proliferation after birth and to utilize better assays to determine formation of new muscle mass.

scholarly journals The Hippo Pathway in Cardiac Regeneration and Homeostasis: New Perspectives for Cell-Free Therapy in the Injured Heart

Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1024
Author(s):  
Mingjie Zheng ◽  
Joan Jacob ◽  
Shao-Hsi Hung ◽  
Jun Wang
Keyword(s):  
Chromatin Remodeling ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Hippo Pathway ◽  
Cell Communication ◽  
Cardiac Regeneration ◽  
Heart Regeneration ◽  
Regenerative Capacity ◽  
The World ◽  
Causes Of Mortality ◽  
The Hippo Pathway

Intractable cardiovascular diseases are leading causes of mortality around the world. Adult mammalian hearts have poor regenerative capacity and are not capable of self-repair after injury. Recent studies of cell-free therapeutics such as those designed to stimulate endogenous cardiac regeneration have uncovered new feasible therapeutic avenues for cardiac repair. The Hippo pathway, a fundamental pathway with pivotal roles in cell proliferation, survival and differentiation, has tremendous potential for therapeutic manipulation in cardiac regeneration. In this review, we summarize the most recent studies that have revealed the function of the Hippo pathway in heart regeneration and homeostasis. In particular, we discuss the molecular mechanisms of how the Hippo pathway maintains cardiac homeostasis by directing cardiomyocyte chromatin remodeling and regulating the cell-cell communication between cardiomyocytes and non-cardiomyocytes in the heart.

scholarly journals Induction of Wnt signaling antagonists and P21-activated kinase enhances cardiomyocyte proliferation during zebrafish heart regeneration

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangwen Peng ◽  
Kaa Seng Lai ◽  
Peilu She ◽  
Junsu Kang ◽  
Tingting Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wnt Signaling ◽  
Cardiac Tissue ◽  
Cardiac Injury ◽  
Heart Regeneration ◽  
Cardiomyocyte Proliferation ◽  
Cardiac Damage ◽  
Ectopic Activation ◽  
P21 Activated Kinase ◽  
Wnt Inhibitors ◽  
Zebrafish Heart

Abstract Heart regeneration occurs by dedifferentiation and proliferation of pre-existing cardiomyocytes (CMs). However, the signaling mechanisms by which injury induces CM renewal remain incompletely understood. Here, we find that cardiac injury in zebrafish induces expression of the secreted Wnt inhibitors, including Dickkopf 1 (Dkk1), Dkk3, secreted Frizzled-related protein 1 (sFrp1), and sFrp2, in cardiac tissue adjacent to injury sites. Experimental blocking of Wnt activity via Dkk1 overexpression enhances CM proliferation and heart regeneration, whereas ectopic activation of Wnt8 signaling blunts injury-induced CM dedifferentiation and proliferation. Although Wnt signaling is dampened upon injury, the cytoplasmic β-catenin is unexpectedly increased at disarrayed CM sarcomeres in myocardial wound edges. Our analyses indicated that P21-activated kinase 2 (Pak2) is induced at regenerating CMs, where it phosphorylates cytoplasmic β-catenin at Ser675 and increases its stability at disassembled sarcomeres during regeneration. Myocardial-specific induction of the phospho-mimetic β-catenin (S675E) enhances CM dedifferentiation and sarcomere disassembly in response to cardiac damage. Importantly, inactivation of Pak2 kinase activity reduces the Ser675-phosphorylated β-catenin (pS675-β-catenin) at cardiac wounds and attenuates CM sarcomere disorganization, dedifferentiation, and proliferation. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that coordination of Wnt signaling inhibition and Pak2/pS675-β-catenin signaling enhances zebrafish heart regeneration by supporting CM dedifferentiation and proliferation.

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