PUBLICATION

Endogenous Natural Complement Inhibitor Regulates Cardiac Development

Authors
Mortensen, S.A., Skov, L.L., Kjaer-Sorensen, K., Hansen, A.G., Hansen, S., Dagnæs-Hansen, F., Jensenius, J.C., Oxvig, C., Thiel, S., Degn, S.E.
ID
ZDB-PUB-170305-1
Date
2017
Source
Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950)   198(8): 3118-3126 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Heart/embryology*
  • Humans
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • Mannose-Binding Protein-Associated Serine Proteases/metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Zebrafish
  • Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism
PubMed
28258200 Full text @ J. Immunol.
Abstract
Congenital heart defects are a major cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity, affecting >1% of all live births in the Western world, yet a large fraction of such defects have an unknown etiology. Recent studies demonstrated surprising dual roles for immune-related molecules and their effector mechanisms during fetal development and adult homeostasis. In this article, we describe the function of an endogenous complement inhibitor, mannan-binding lectin (MBL)-associated protein (MAp)44, in regulating the composition of a serine protease-pattern recognition receptor complex, MBL-associated serine protease (MASP)-3/collectin-L1/K1 hetero-oligomer, which impacts cardiac neural crest cell migration. We used knockdown and rescue strategies in zebrafish, a model allowing visualization and assessment of heart function, even in the presence of severe functional defects. Knockdown of embryonic expression of MAp44 caused impaired cardiogenesis, lowered heart rate, and decreased cardiac output. These defects were associated with aberrant neural crest cell behavior. We found that MAp44 competed with MASP-3 for pattern recognition molecule interaction, and knockdown of endogenous MAp44 expression could be rescued by overexpression of wild-type MAp44. Our observations provide evidence that immune molecules are centrally involved in the orchestration of cardiac tissue development.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Show all Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping