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Updated: May 5, 2026

Heart Dissection in Larval, Juvenile and Adult Zebrafish, Danio rerio
Published on: September 30, 2011
Krüppel-like factor 1 is a core cardiomyogenic trigger in zebrafish
Masahito Ogawa1,2, Fan-Suo Geng3,4, David T Humphreys4,5
1Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia.
Abstract:
Cardiac regeneration requires dedifferentiation and proliferation of mature cardiomyocytes, but the mechanisms underlying this plasticity remain unclear. Here, we identify a potent cardiomyogenic role for Krüppel-like factor 1 (Klf1/Eklf), which is induced in adult zebrafish myocardium upon injury. Myocardial inhibition of Klf1 function does not affect heart development, but it severely impairs regeneration. Transient Klf1 activation is sufficient to expand mature myocardium in uninjured hearts. Klf1 directs epigenetic reprogramming of the cardiac transcription factor network, permitting coordinated cardiomyocyte dedifferentiation and proliferation. Myocardial expansion is supported by Klf1-induced rewiring of mitochondrial metabolism from oxidative respiration to anabolic pathways. Our findings establish Klf1 as a core transcriptional regulator of cardiomyocyte renewal in adult zebrafish hearts.
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