1. Requirements of myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2A in zebrafish cardiac contractility.
- Author
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Wang YX, Qian LX, Yu Z, Jiang Q, Dong YX, Liu XF, Yang XY, Zhong TP, and Song HY
- Subjects
- Animals, DNA-Binding Proteins genetics, Gene Expression, Humans, MADS Domain Proteins, MEF2 Transcription Factors, Microinjections, Morphogenesis, Myocardium ultrastructure, Myogenic Regulatory Factors, Oligonucleotides, Antisense, Phenotype, Promoter Regions, Genetic, RNA Splicing, Recombinant Fusion Proteins genetics, Recombinant Fusion Proteins metabolism, Transcription Factors genetics, Zebrafish anatomy & histology, Zebrafish genetics, Zebrafish metabolism, DNA-Binding Proteins metabolism, Myocardial Contraction physiology, Myocardium metabolism, Transcription Factors metabolism, Zebrafish embryology
- Abstract
Myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2A (MEF2A) regulates a broad range of fundamental cellular processes including cell division, differentiation and death. Here, we tested the hypothesis that MEF2A is required in cardiac contractility employing zebrafish as a model organism. MEF2A is highly expressed in heart as well as somites during zebrafish embryogenesis. Knock-down of MEF2A in zebrafish impaires the cardiac contractility and results in sarcomere assembly defects. Dysregulation of cardiac genes in MEF2A morphants suggests that sarcomere assembly disturbances account for the cardiac contractile deficiency. Our studies suggested that MEF2A is essential in cardiac contractility.
- Published
- 2005
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