Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jieyun Bai, Yaosheng Lu, Yijie Zhu, Huijin Wang, Dechun Yin, Henggui Zhang, Diego Franco, Jichao Zhao
Summary: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia with genetic predispositions playing a major role in its development. Genetic variants near the PITX2 gene on chromosome 4q25 have been identified in association with AF populations. Computational models are useful for understanding the functional impacts of PITX2 and may lead to improved anti-AF therapies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Lucile Fossier, Mathieu Panel, Laura Butruille, Sarah Colombani, Lan Azria, Eloise Woitrain, Raphael Decoin, Angelo G. Torrente, Jerome Thireau, Alain Lacampagne, David Montaigne, Jeremy Fauconnier
Summary: This study revealed that impaired mitochondrial Ca2+ handling and MCUC activity contribute to atrial fibrillation in metabolic cardiomyopathy. Increased expression of MICUs subunits of MCUC was associated with impaired mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake in patients with MetS and HFS mice. The MCUC agonist kaempferol restored MCUC activity and prevented AF in HFS mice.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Xiao-Yan Qi, Faezeh Vahdati Hassani, Dennis Hoffmann, Jiening Xiao, Feng Xiong, Louis R. Villeneuve, Senka Ljubojevic-Holzer, Markus Kamler, Issam Abu-Taha, Jordi Heijman, Donald M. Bers, Dobromir Dobrev, Stanley Nattel
Summary: The study revealed that atrial fibrillation (AF) affects nucleoplasmic Ca2+ in atrial cardiomyocytes, leading to the upregulation of IP(3)R1 and enhanced CaMKII-HDAC4 signaling, resulting in the downregulation of L-type calcium current.
CIRCULATION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Funsho E. Fakuade, Vanessa Steckmeister, Fitzwilliam Seibertz, Judith Gronwald, Stefanie Kestel, Julia Menzel, Julius Ryan D. Pronto, Karim Taha, Fereshteh Haghighi, George Kensah, Charles M. Pearman, Felix Wiedmann, Arco J. Teske, Constanze Schmidt, Katharine M. Dibb, Aschraf El-Essawi, Bernhard C. Danner, Hassina Baraki, Blanche Schwappach, Ingo Kutschka, Fleur E. Mason, Niels Voigt
Summary: This study investigates the role of impaired atrial contractility and arrhythmogenic substrate in the development of postoperative atrial fibrillation (poAF).
CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Kyungsoo Kim, Daniel J. Blackwell, Samantha L. Yuen, Madelaine P. Thorpe, Jeffrey N. Johnston, Razvan L. Cornea, Bjorn C. Knollmarnn
Summary: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia that increases the risk of stroke and morbidity. Variants on chromosome 4q25, near the PITX2 gene, have been identified as the strongest genetic risk factors for AF in humans. This study found that deficiency in Pitx2 leads to hyperactivation of the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2), which is associated with increased susceptibility to AF. Treatment with the RyR2 inhibitor ent-verticilide reduces the incidence and duration of AF, suggesting that targeting hyperactive RyR2 may be a promising approach to treat atrial arrhythmias caused by Pitx2 deficiency.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR CARDIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Jeffrey D. Steimle, Francisco J. Grisanti Canozo, Minjun Park, Zachary A. Kadow, Md Abul Hassan Samee, James F. Martin
Summary: This study reveals the association between gene variants related to atrial fibrillation and cell states through single nuclei multiomic profiling and spectral clustering, and identifies the correlation between atrial fibrillation predisposition genes, cell dysfunction, and cell-to-cell signaling.
Article
Physiology
Wan-Li Cheng, Yao-Chang Chen, Shao-Jung Li, Ting- Lee, Ting-Wei Lee, Satoshi Higa, Cheng-Chih Chung, Yu-Hsun Kao, Shih-Ann Chen, Yi-Jen Chen
Summary: This study investigates the role of Gal-3/CD98 signaling in atrial arrhythmogenesis. The results suggest that Gal-3 recombinant protein administration increases atrial fibrosis and arrhythmogenesis through CD98 signaling. Targeting the Gal-3/CD98 axis may be a potential therapeutic strategy for patients with atrial fibrillation and high Gal-3 levels.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Yung-Nan Tsai, Ya-Wen Hsiao, Shien-Fong Lin, Yi-Hsin Chan, Yu-Cheng Hsieh, Wei-Hua Tang, An-Sheng Lee, Yu-Ting Huang, Hsing-Yuan Li, Tze-Fan Chao, Satoshi Higa, Tsu-Juey Wu, Shih-Lin Chang, Shih-Ann Chen
Summary: IL-17 enhances CaiTD and APD alternans through disturbances in calcium handling, which may increase VA susceptibility. IL-17 group showed longer APD, CaiTD and increased thresholds of APD and CaiTD alternans, the maximum slope of APD restitution and VA threshold compared with baseline and IL-17 neutralizer groups.
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Jie Liao, Shaoshao Zhang, Shuaitao Yang, Yang Lu, Kai Lu, Yuwei Wu, Qiongfeng Wu, Ning Zhao, Qian Dong, Lei Chen, Yimei Du
Summary: IL-6 neutralization improved atrial inflammation and fibrosis, as well as atrial fibrillation susceptibility in ST rats, which is associated with Ca2+ handling abnormalities and RyR2 dysfunction.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Physiology
Inseok Hwang, Je-Wook Park, Oh-Seok Kwon, Byounghyun Lim, Myunghee Hong, Min Kim, Hee-Tae Yu, Tae-Hoon Kim, Jae-Sun Uhm, Boyoung Joung, Moon-Hyoung Lee, Hui-Nam Pak
Summary: Computational modeling revealed that PITX2 gene deficiency affects the response of patients with atrial fibrillation to antiarrhythmic drugs, showing distinct differences in electrophysiological and wave-dynamic characteristics compared to wild-type models.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Jinchun Wu, Tao Liu, Shaobo Shi, Zhixing Fan, Roddy Hiram, Feng Xiong, Bo Cui, Xiaoling Su, Rong Chang, Wei Zhang, Min Yan, Yanhong Tang, He Huang, Gang Wu, Congxin Huang
Summary: This study found that dapagliflozin (DAPA) can reduce the vulnerability to ventricular arrhythmia in rats with pulmonary arterial hypertension-induced right heart failure by improving calcium handling in heart cells.
CARDIOVASCULAR DIABETOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Yuan Fang, Qian Li, Xin Li, Guan-Hao Luo, Su-Juan Kuang, Xue-Shan Luo, Qiao-Qiao Li, Hui Yang, Yang Liu, Chun-Yu Deng, Yu-Mei Xue, Shu-Lin Wu, Fang Rao
Summary: Hypertension is a major risk factor for atrial fibrillation worldwide. This study investigates the role of the ion channel Piezo1 in decreasing the L-type calcium current as a response to high hydrostatic pressure. The results show that mechanical stress caused by hypertension activates Piezo1, leading to a decrease in the L-type calcium current, and increasing susceptibility to atrial fibrillation.
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Ruiyao Xu, Xianxian Wang, Sadia Safi, Nico Braunegger, Agnes Hipgrave Ederveen, Michelle Rottmann, Joachim Wittbrodt, Manfred Wuhrer, Janine Wesslowski, Gary Davidson
Summary: Reception of Wnt signals is mediated by Frizzled receptors and a co-receptor LRP6 or LRP5. Precise control of receptor activation is crucial to regulate Wnt/beta-catenin signaling for proper cellular function. A glycosyltransferase B3GnT2-like has been identified to modify LRP6 and enhance Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. This study highlights the importance of LRP6 as a regulatory hub in Wnt signaling and provides insight into the selective targeting of a signaling pathway component by a specific glycosyltransferase.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fabio Da Silva, Kaiqing Zhang, Anneline Pinson, Edoardo Fatti, Michaela Wilsch-Braeuninger, Jessica Herbst, Valerie Vidal, Andreas Schedl, Wieland B. Huttner, Christof Niehrs
Summary: This study reveals the critical role of WNT/STOP signaling in mouse neocortex development, promoting neurogenesis by stabilizing neurogenic transcription factors Sox4 and Sox11 in basal progenitors during mitosis. The findings suggest that mitosis is a key phase for neural progenitor fate.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joanna Zygadlo, Grzegorz Procyk, Pawel Balsam, Piotr Lodzinski, Marcin Grabowski, Aleksandra Gasecka
Summary: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, and autoimmunity is believed to play a crucial role in its development. Autoantibodies are implicated in regulating heart rhythm and associated with AF. Identifying the autoantibody profile of different AF patient groups is essential for developing effective treatments.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carlos Garcia-Padilla, Virginio Garcia-Lopez, Amelia Aranega, Diego Franco, Virginio Garcia-Martinez, Carmen Lopez-Sanchez
Summary: miR-133a plays a crucial role in the early development of the posterior cardiac tube by repressing RhoA and Cdc42 and regulating the expression of cardiac markers. Retinoic acid negatively regulates miR-133a and affects the expression of Raldh2, Tbx5, and AMHC1. Thus, miR-133a may serve as a potential therapeutic tool for the diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis of cardiac diseases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carlos Garcia-Padilla, Estefania Lozano-Velasco, Maria del Mar Munoz-Gallardo, Juan Manuel Castillo-Casas, Sheila Cano-Carrillo, Francisco Jose Martinez-Amaro, Virginio Garcia-Lopez, Amelia Aranega, Diego Franco, Virginio Garcia-Martinez, Carmen Lopez-Sanchez
Summary: This review analyzes the impact of LncRNA H19 on chemotherapy and radiotherapy in breast cancer, lung adenocarcinoma, glioma, and colorectal carcinoma, as well as its oncogenic and protective roles in cancer.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Ariadna Bargiela, Francisco Hernandez-Torres
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carlos Garcia-Padilla, Estefania Lozano-Velasco, Virginio Garcia-Lopez, Amelia Aranega, Diego Franco, Virginio Garcia-Martinez, Carmen Lopez-Sanchez
Summary: Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome with increasing prevalence, and finding new molecular biomarkers is an interesting tool to improve its prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. This review emphasizes the relevance of microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs as potential biomarkers in heart failure. Further studies in this field are crucial to support their widespread clinical use.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Carmen Tarifa, Selma A. Serra, Adela Herraiz-Martinez, Estefania Lozano-Velasco, Raul Benitez, Amelia Aranega, Diego Franco, Leif Hove-Madsen
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Pitx2c expression and calcium release and electrical activity in atrial myocytes. By using confocal calcium imaging and patch-clamp techniques, it was found that Pitx2c deletion leads to calcium homeostasis imbalance and abnormal electrical activity, which resemble the abnormalities observed in right atrial myocytes from patients with AF.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francisco Jose Martinez-Amaro, Carlos Garcia-Padilla, Diego Franco, Houria Daimi
Summary: The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is crucial for protein quality control and maintaining protein homeostasis. ER stress triggers various molecular mechanisms such as ERAD, UPR, and reticulophagy to restore protein balance. Failure to alleviate ER stress leads to apoptosis and cardiovascular diseases. The roles of microRNAs, as well as lncRNAs and circRNAs, in modulating ER stress response and their impact on cardiovascular diseases are discussed in this review.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Sheila Cano-Carrillo, Estefania Lozano-Velasco, Juan Manuel Castillo-Casas, Cristina Sanchez-Fernandez, Diego Franco
Summary: Myocardial infarction is a common cardiovascular disease caused by cardiomyocyte cell death due to lack of oxygen supply. Reactive oxygen species generated during reperfusion lead to cell death, inflammation, and fibrotic scar formation. Non-coding RNAs, including miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs, play a vital role in modulating cardiac injury and regeneration processes.
JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR DEVELOPMENT AND DISEASE
(2023)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Juan Manuel Castillo-Casas, Sheila Cano-Carrillo, Cristina Sanchez-Fernandez, Diego Franco, Estefania Lozano-Velasco
Summary: Cardiovascular diseases, especially ischemic heart disease, are the leading cause of death worldwide. Myocardial infarction, caused by coronary artery occlusion, results in insufficient blood supply to the heart and the limited regenerative ability of the adult mammalian heart cannot fully restore the massive loss of cardiomyocytes. However, lower vertebrate species have the ability to regenerate their hearts after injury, and their study has revealed cell types, molecular mechanisms, and signaling pathways involved in the regenerative process. This two-part review discusses the principal response in heart regeneration and emphasizes the essential processes for the full recovery of cardiac function.
JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR DEVELOPMENT AND DISEASE
(2023)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Juan Manuel Castillo-Casas, Sheila Cano-Carrillo, Cristina Sanchez-Fernandez, Diego Franco, Estefania Lozano-Velasco
Summary: This article provides a comprehensive review of the main responses and processes involved in heart regeneration, discussing various cell types, molecular mechanisms, and signaling pathways. Heart regeneration holds significant implications for the treatment of ischemic heart disease.
JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR DEVELOPMENT AND DISEASE
(2023)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Cristina Sanchez-Fernandez, Lara Rodriguez-Outeirino, Lidia Matias-Valiente, Felicitas Ramirez de Acuna, Diego Franco, Amelia Eva Aranega
Summary: The epicardium is an essential cell population in the outermost layer of the heart, contributing to the formation of different cell types and providing signals for cardiac development. While quiescent during adulthood, the epicardium can reactivate and play a role in cardiac tissue remodeling after injury. However, it is still unclear whether the epicardium-derived cells come from specific subpopulations or a common progenitor. Further research is needed to understand the complexity of the epicardium.
JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR DEVELOPMENT AND DISEASE
(2023)