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Updated: Jul 20, 2026
09:29
Assessing Cardiomyocyte Subtypes Following Transcription Factor-mediated Reprogramming of Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts
Published on: March 22, 2017
Transcriptional pathways direct cardiac development and regeneration
Shuaib Latif1, Amanda Masino, Daniel J Garry
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine
|September 19, 2006
Summary
Researchers defined the molecular program of cardiac progenitor cells during heart development using advanced genetic techniques. This molecular map aids in identifying cardiac progenitors in adult hearts and understanding heart regeneration.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Gene disruption studies identified essential genes for cardiac development.
- The genetic program of cardiac progenitor cells remains incompletely defined.
- Understanding cardiac progenitor regulation is crucial for cardiac morphogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively define the molecular program of cardiac progenitor cells.
- To target cardiac progenitors early during cardiac morphogenesis using a transgenic strategy.
- To identify cardiac progenitors in the adult heart and study heart regeneration.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a transgenic strategy to target cardiac progenitors.
- Employed flow cytometry for cell analysis.
- Conducted transcriptome analysis to define the molecular program.
Main Results:
- Comprehensively defined the molecular program of cardiac progenitors at distinct developmental stages.
- Provided a detailed molecular profile of cardiac progenitor cells.
- Established a foundation for identifying adult cardiac progenitors.
Conclusions:
- The molecular cardiac program defined early in development is key to understanding cardiac progenitor function.
- This research facilitates the identification of cardiac progenitors in the adult heart.
- Future studies will explore regulatory pathways in developing and regenerating hearts.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Transcription
Transcription is the synthesis of RNA from a DNA sequence by RNA polymerase. It is the first step in producing a protein from a gene sequence. Additionally, many other proteins and regulatory sequences are involved in correctly synthesizing messenger RNA (mRNA). Transcriptional regulation is responsible for the differentiation of different types of cells and often for the proper cellular response to environmental signals.
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds of RNA Molecules
In eukaryotes,...
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds of RNA Molecules
In eukaryotes,...
01:10Transcription
Overview
Transcription is the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA sequence by RNA polymerase. It is the first step in producing a protein from a gene sequence. Additionally, many other proteins and regulatory sequences are involved in the proper synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA). Regulation of transcription is responsible for the differentiation of all the different types of cells and often for the proper cellular response to environmental signals.
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds...
Transcription is the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA sequence by RNA polymerase. It is the first step in producing a protein from a gene sequence. Additionally, many other proteins and regulatory sequences are involved in the proper synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA). Regulation of transcription is responsible for the differentiation of all the different types of cells and often for the proper cellular response to environmental signals.
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds...
01:29Pathophysiology of Cardiac Performance
Typical heart performance is influenced by heart rate, rhythm, myocardial contraction, and metabolism or blood flow. The cardiac muscle exhibits distinct electrophysiological features, including pacemaker activity and calcium channel control, which play a vital role in the heart's response to various drugs. The autonomic nervous system, comprising the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches, regulates heart rate. Sympathetic activation increases heart rate, while parasympathetic activation...
01:30General Transcription Factors
Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...
01:27Development of the Heart
The development of the human heart, a crucial organ, commences from the mesoderm on the 18th or 19th day after fertilization. This process initiates in the cardiogenic area, a group of mesodermal cells at the embryo's head end, which evolves into elongated strands known as cardiogenic cords. These cords undergo a transformation to form hollow-centered endocardial tubes.
As the embryo undergoes lateral folding, these paired tubes approach each other, merging into a single primitive heart tube by...
As the embryo undergoes lateral folding, these paired tubes approach each other, merging into a single primitive heart tube by...
02:23Master Transcription Regulators
Master transcription regulators are regulatory proteins that are predominantly responsible for regulating the expression of multiple genes. Often these genes work in concert to drive a complex process. Activation of a master transcription regulator can lead to a cascade of transcriptional activation necessary for that outcome. These regulators can directly bind to the regulatory sequences of the various genes involved, or they can indirectly regulate transcription by binding to regulatory...