PUBLICATION
Spatially resolved RNA-sequencing of the embryonic heart identifies a role for Wnt/β-catenin signaling in autonomic control of heart rate
- Authors
- Burkhard, S.B., Bakkers, J.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-180206-12
- Date
- 2018
- Source
- eLIFE 7: (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Bakkers, Jeroen
- Keywords
- developmental biology, stem cells, zebrafish
- Datasets
- GEO:GSE104057
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Heart/embryology*
- Heart/physiology*
- Heart Rate*
- High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
- Spatio-Temporal Analysis
- Wnt Signaling Pathway*
- Zebrafish
- Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism*
- beta Catenin/metabolism*
- PubMed
- 29400650 Full text @ Elife
Citation
Burkhard, S.B., Bakkers, J. (2018) Spatially resolved RNA-sequencing of the embryonic heart identifies a role for Wnt/β-catenin signaling in autonomic control of heart rate. eLIFE. 7.
Abstract
Development of specialized cells and structures in the heart is regulated by spatially-restricted molecular pathways. Disruptions in these pathways can cause severe congenital cardiac malformations or functional defects. To better understand these pathways and how they regulate cardiac development we used tomo-seq, combining high-throughput RNA-sequencing with tissue-sectioning, to establish a genome-wide expression dataset with high spatial resolution for the developing zebrafish heart. Analysis of the dataset revealed over 1100 genes differentially expressed in sub-compartments. Pacemaker cells in the sinoatrial region induce heart contractions, but little is known about the mechanisms underlying their development. Using our transcriptome map, we identified spatially restricted Wnt/β-catenin signaling activity in pacemaker cells, which was controlled by Islet-1 activity. Moreover, Wnt/β-catenin signaling controls heart rate by regulating pacemaker cellular response to parasympathetic stimuli. Thus, this high-resolution transcriptome map incorporating all cell types in the embryonic heart can expose spatially-restricted molecular pathways critical for specific cardiac functions.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping