Logo image
Pitx2 promotes heart repair by activating the antioxidant response after cardiac injury
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Pitx2 promotes heart repair by activating the antioxidant response after cardiac injury

Ge Tao, Peter C Kahr, Yuka Morikawa, Min Zhang, Mahdis Rahmani, Todd R Heallen, Lele Li, Zhao Sun, Eric N Olson, Brad A Amendt, …
Nature (London), Vol.534(7605), pp.119-123
06/02/2016
DOI: 10.1038/nature17959
PMCID: PMC4999251
PMID: 27251288

View Online

Abstract

Myocardial infarction results in compromised myocardial function and heart failure owing to insufficient cardiomyocyte self-renewal. Unlike many vertebrates, mammalian hearts have only a transient neonatal renewal capacity. Reactivating primitive reparative ability in the mature mammalian heart requires knowledge of the mechanisms that promote early heart repair. By testing an established Hippo-deficient heart regeneration mouse model for factors that promote renewal, here we show that the expression of Pitx2 is induced in injured, Hippo-deficient ventricles. Pitx2-deficient neonatal mouse hearts failed to repair after apex resection, whereas adult mouse cardiomyocytes with Pitx2 gain-of-function efficiently regenerated after myocardial infarction. Genomic analyses indicated that Pitx2 activated genes encoding electron transport chain components and reactive oxygen species scavengers. A subset of Pitx2 target genes was cooperatively regulated with the Hippo pathway effector Yap. Furthermore, Nrf2, a regulator of the antioxidant response, directly regulated the expression and subcellular localization of Pitx2. Pitx2 mutant myocardium had increased levels of reactive oxygen species, while antioxidant supplementation suppressed the Pitx2 loss-of-function phenotype. These findings reveal a genetic pathway activated by tissue damage that is essential for cardiac repair.
Heart Injuries - pathology Myocardial Infarction - genetics Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases - deficiency Electron Transport - drug effects Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism Antioxidants - metabolism Electron Transport - genetics Heart Injuries - metabolism Homeodomain Proteins - metabolism Transcription Factors - deficiency Male Phosphoproteins - metabolism Regeneration - genetics Myocardial Infarction - pathology Myocardium - metabolism Female Wound Healing - genetics Wound Healing - drug effects Disease Models, Animal Animals, Newborn Heart Injuries - genetics Free Radical Scavengers - metabolism Antioxidants - pharmacology Myocardial Infarction - metabolism Transcription Factors - genetics Regeneration - physiology Homeodomain Proteins - genetics Transcription Factors - metabolism Myocytes, Cardiac - pathology Regeneration - drug effects Animals Myocytes, Cardiac - drug effects NF-E2-Related Factor 2 - metabolism Myocytes, Cardiac - metabolism Heart Ventricles - metabolism Mice Wound Healing - physiology Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing - metabolism Cell Cycle Proteins Heart Ventricles - drug effects

Details

Logo image