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Updated: May 22, 2025

Analysis of Tubular Membrane Networks in Cardiac Myocytes from Atria and Ventricles

Analysis of Tubular Membrane Networks in Cardiac Myocytes from Atria and Ventricles

Published on: October 15, 2014

Tunneling nanotube-like structures regulate distant cellular interactions during heart formation.

Lianjie Miao¹, Yangyang Lu¹, Anika Nusrat¹

¹Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|March 13, 2025

Summary

Mammalian heart development involves direct cell communication via tunneling nanotube-like structures (TNTLs) connecting cardiomyocytes and endocardial cells. These TNTLs are crucial for signaling and forming ventricular trabeculae, with their loss disrupting cardiac patterning.

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En Face Endocardial Cushion Preparation for Planar Morphogenesis Analysis in Mouse Embryos

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Area of Science:

Developmental biology
Cardiovascular research
Cell biology

Background:

The developing mammalian heart relies on communication between the endocardium and myocardium, separated by cardiac jelly.
Mechanisms of intercellular communication across the cardiac jelly during cardiac morphogenesis remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how membrane-localized receptors and ligands mediate interactions between the endocardium and myocardium during cardiac development.
To elucidate the role of specific microstructures in facilitating this communication.

Main Methods:

Utilized developing mouse cardiac morphogenesis models.
Employed a combination of cellular, imaging, and genetic approaches.
Investigated the structure and function of intercellular connections.

Main Results:

Identified tunneling nanotube-like structures (TNTLs) mediating direct interaction between cardiomyocytes (CMs) and endocardial cells (ECs).
Demonstrated that TNTLs transport cytoplasmic proteins and transduce signals between CMs and ECs.
Observed TNTLs initiating myocardial growth, contributing to ventricular trabeculae formation.

Conclusions:

TNTLs are a novel mechanism for direct intercellular communication across the cardiac jelly in the developing heart.
Disruption of TNTLs impairs essential signaling interactions, leading to defects in ventricular patterning.
These findings provide new insights into the cellular basis of cardiac morphogenesis.