Transcriptional Atlas of Cardiogenesis Maps Congenital Heart Disease Interactome

Mammalian heart development is built on highly conserved molecular mechanisms with polygenetic perturbations resulting in a spectrum of congenital heart diseases (CHD). However, the transcriptional landscape of cardiogenic ontogeny that regulates proper cardiogenesis remains largely based on candidate-gene approaches. Herein, we designed a time-course transcriptome analysis to investigate the genome-wide expression profile of innate murine cardiogenesis ranging from embryonic stem cells to adult cardiac structures. This comprehensive analysis generated temporal and spatial expression profiles, prioritized stage-specific gene functions, and mapped the dynamic transcriptome of cardiogenesis to curated pathways. Reconciling the bioinformatics of the congenital heart disease interactome, we deconstructed disease-centric regulatory networks encoded within this cardiogenic atlas to reveal stage-specific developmental disturbances clustered on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), BMP regulation, NF-AT signaling, TGFb-dependent induction, and Notch signaling. Therefore, this cardiogenic transcriptional landscape defines the time-dependent expression of cardiac ontogeny and prioritizes regulatory networks at the interface between health and disease.

45

Li X, Martinez-Fernandez A, Hartjes KA, Kocher JP, Olson TM, Terzic A, Nelson TJ