PUBLICATION

Vitamin D receptor signaling is required for heart development in zebrafish embryo

Authors
Kwon, H.J.
ID
ZDB-PUB-160123-3
Date
2016
Source
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications   470(3): 575-8 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Kwon, Hye-Joo
Keywords
Heart development, Vitamin D, Vitamin D receptor (VDR), Zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Embryonic Development/physiology*
  • Fetal Heart/embryology*
  • Fetal Heart/growth & development*
  • Heart Rate, Fetal/physiology
  • Receptors, Calcitriol/metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction/physiology
  • Zebrafish/embryology*
  • Zebrafish/growth & development*
PubMed
26797277 Full text @ Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.
Abstract
Vitamin D has been found to be associated with cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of vitamin D in heart development during embryonic period is largely unknown. Vitamin D induces its genomic effects through its nuclear receptor, the vitamin D receptor (VDR). The present study investigated the role of VDR on heart development by antisense-mediated knockdown approaches in zebrafish model system. In zebrafish embryos, two distinct VDR genes (vdra and vdrb) have been identified. Knockdown of vdra has little effect on heart development, whereas disrupting vdrb gene causes various cardiac phenotypes, characterized by pericardial edema, slower heart rate and laterality defects. Depletion of both vdra and vdrb (vdra/b) produce additive, but not synergistic effects. To determine whether atrioventricular (AV) cardiomyocytes are properly organized in these embryos, the expression of bmp4, which marks the developing AV boundary at 48 hours post-fertilization, was examined. Notably, vdra/b-deficient embryos display ectopic expression of bmp4 towards the ventricle or throughout atrial and ventricular chambers. Taken together, these results suggest that VDR signaling plays an essential role in heart development.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping