Conference Paper
Reactivation of the embryonic neural crest gene program during zebrafish cardiac regeneration
Martik, M.
Record Number:
5641
Year:
2022
Journal:
AIM 2022
Pages:
45
Abstract:
Zebrafish have the remarkable ability to regenerate their hearts after injury. Our lab uses
systems-level approaches, including bulk and single cell RNAseq together with ATACseq, to identify gene regulatory programs driving differentiation of neural crest-derived cardiomyocytes. Interrogation of migratory versus differentiated cardiac crest populations
has enabled identification of common gene signatures characteristic of heart derivatives
including cardiomyocytes, the atrioventricular canal, and cardiac ganglia. Furthermore, after adult injury, the neural crest regulatory program is redeployed as adult neural crestderived cardiomyocytes contribute to heart regeneration. Importantly, ablation of neural crest-derived cells results in failure of heart regeneration accompanied by loss of neural crest gene regulatory network signatures. Together, our results uncover a specialized developmental cardiomyocyte program that is reactivated upon initial injury to the heart
and essential for successful repair in zebrafish. Our results in zebrafish have now led us
to investigate whether similar genetic programs are active during cavefish development and regeneration. Preliminary results shed light on differential programs that are driving neural crest differentiation between cave and surface populations perhaps leading to their
differing cardiac regenerative abilities.
Times Cited:
1
Relevent Species: