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Rationale : Cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) are thought to differentiate into the major cell types of the heart: cardiomyocytes, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells. We have recently identified ABI family, member 3 (NESH) binding protein (Abi3bp) as a protein important for mesenchymal stem cell biology. Because CPCs share several characteristics with mesenchymal stem cells, we hypothesized that Abi3bp would similarly affect CPC differentiation and proliferation. Objective : To determine whether Abi3bp regulates CPC proliferation and differentiation. Methods and Results : In vivo, genetic ablation of the Abi3bp gene inhibited CPC differentiation, whereas CPC number and proliferative capacity were increased. This correlated with adverse recovery after myocardial infarction. In vitro, CPCs, either isolated from Abi3bp knockout mice or expressing an Abi3bp shRNA construct, displayed a higher proliferative capacity and, under differentiating conditions, reduced expression of both early and late cardiomyocyte markers. Abi3bp controlled CPC differentiation via integrin-β1, protein kinase C-ζ, and v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog. Conclusions : We have identified Abi3bp as a protein important for CPC differentiation and proliferation.

Rationale: The regenerative capacity of the heart is markedly diminished shortly after birth, coinciding with overall withdrawal of cardiomyocytes from cell cycle. Consequently, the adult mammalian heart has limited capacity to regenerate after injury. The discovery of factors that can induce cardiomyocyte proliferation is, therefore, of high interest and has been the focus of extensive investigation throughout the past years. Objective: We have recently identified C3orf58 as a novel hypoxia and Akt induced stem cell factor (HASF) secreted from mesenchymal stem cells, which can promote cardiac repair through cytoprotective mechanisms. Here, we tested the hypothesis that HASF can also contribute to cardiac regeneration by stimulating cardiomyocyte division and proliferation. Methods and Results: Neonatal ventricular cardiomyocytes were stimulated in culture for 7 days with purified recombinant HASF protein. Compared with control untreated cells, HASF-treated neonatal cardiomyocytes exhibited 60% increase in DNA synthesis as measured by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation. These results were confirmed by immunofluorescence confocal microscopy showing a 50% to 100% increase in the number of cardiomyocytes in the mitotic and cytokinesis phases. Importantly, in vivo cardiac overexpression of HASF in a transgenic mouse model resulted in enhanced level of DNA synthesis and cytokinesis in neonatal and adult cardiomyocytes. These proliferative effects were modulated by a phosphoinositide 3-kinase–protein kinase B–cycle-dependent kinase 7 pathway as revealed by the use of phosphoinositide 3-kinase -pathway–specific inhibitors and silencing of the Cdk7 gene. Conclusions: Our studies support the hypothesis that HASF induces cardiomyocyte proliferation via a phosphoinositide 3-kinase–protein kinase B–cycle-dependent kinase 7 pathway. The implications of this finding may be significant for cardiac regeneration biology and therapeutics.

Rationale: Repopulation of the injured heart with new, functional cardiomyocytes remains a daunting challenge for cardiac regenerative medicine. An ideal therapeutic approach would involve an effective method at achieving direct conversion of injured areas to functional tissue in situ. Objective: The aim of this study was to develop a strategy that identified and evaluated the potential of specific micro (mi)RNAs capable of inducing reprogramming of cardiac fibroblasts directly to cardiomyocytes in vitro and in vivo. Methods and Results: Using a combinatorial strategy, we identified a combination of miRNAs 1, 133, 208, and 499 capable of inducing direct cellular reprogramming of fibroblasts to cardiomyocyte-like cells in vitro. Detailed studies of the reprogrammed cells demonstrated that a single transient transfection of the miRNAs can direct a switch in cell fate as documented by expression of mature cardiomyocyte markers, sarcomeric organization, and exhibition of spontaneous calcium flux characteristic of a cardiomyocyte-like phenotype. Interestingly, we also found that miRNA-mediated reprogramming was enhanced 10-fold on JAK inhibitor I treatment. Importantly, administration of miRNAs into ischemic mouse myocardium resulted in evidence of direct conversion of cardiac fibroblasts to cardiomyocytes in situ. Genetic tracing analysis using Fsp1Cre-traced fibroblasts from both cardiac and noncardiac cell sources strongly suggests that induced cells are most likely of fibroblastic origin. Conclusions: The findings from this study provide proof-of-concept that miRNAs have the capability of directly converting fibroblasts to a cardiomyocyte-like phenotype in vitro. Also of significance is that this is the first report of direct cardiac reprogramming in vivo. Our approach may have broad and important implications for therapeutic tissue regeneration in general.