We have recently shown a remarkable regenerative capacity of the prenatal heart using a genetic model of mosaic mitochondrial dysfunction in mice. This model is based on inactivation of the X-linked gene encoding holocytochrome c synthase (Hccs) specifically in the developing heart. Loss of HCCS activity results in respiratory chain dysfunction, disturbed cardiomyocyte differentiation and reduced cell cycle activity. The Hccs gene is subjected to X chromosome inactivation, such that in females heterozygous for the heart conditional Hccs knockout approximately 50% of cardiac cells keep the defective X chromosome active and develop mitochondrial dysfunction while the other 50% remain healthy. During heart development, however, the contribution of HCCS deficient cells to the cardiac tissue decreases from 50% at midgestation to 10% at birth. This regeneration of the prenatal heart is mediated by increased proliferation of the healthy cardiac cell population, which compensate for the defective cells and allow the formation of a fully functional heart at birth. Here we performed microarray expression ananlyses on 13.5 dpc control and heterozygous Hccs knockout hearts to identify molecular mechanisms that drive embryonic heart regeneration.
Embryonic cardiomyocytes can orchestrate various cell protective mechanisms to survive mitochondrial stress.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesEbf1 is a transcription factor with documented, and dose dependent, functions in both normal and malignant B-lymphocyte development. In order to understand more about the role of Ebf1 in malignant transformation, we have investigated the impact of reduced functional Ebf1 dose on early B-cell progenitors. Gene expression analysis in loss and gain of function analysis suggested that Ebf1 was involved in the regulation of genes of importance for DNA repair as well as cell survival. Investigation of the level of DNA damage in steady state as well as after induction of DNA damage by UV light supported that pro-B cells lacking one functional allele of Ebf1 display a reduced ability to repair DNA damage. This was correlated to a reduction in expression of Rad51 and combined analysis of published 4C and chromatin Immuno precipitation data suggested that this gene is a direct target for Ebf1. Even though the lack of one allele of Ebf1 did not result in any dramatic increase of tumor formation, we noted a dramatic increase in the formation of pro-B cell leukemia in mice carrying a combined heterozygote mutation in the Ebf1 and Pax5 genes. Even though the tumors were phenotypically similar and stable, we noted a large degree of molecular heterogeneity well in line with a mechanism involving impaired DNA repair. Our data support the idea that Ebf1 controls homologous DNA repair in a dose dependent manner and that this may explain the frequent involvement of Ebf1 in human leukemia
Ebf1 heterozygosity results in increased DNA damage in pro-B cells and their synergistic transformation by Pax5 haploinsufficiency.
Specimen part, Cell line, Time
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