title: Requirements of myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2A in zebrafish cardiac contractility.
abstract: Myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2A (MEF2A) regulates a broad range of fundamental cellular processes including cell division, differentiation and death. Here, we tested the hypothesis that MEF2A is required in cardiac contractility employing zebrafish as a model organism. MEF2A is highly expressed in heart as well as somites during zebrafish embryogenesis. Knock-down of MEF2A in zebrafish impaires the cardiac contractility and results in sarcomere assembly defects. Dysregulation of cardiac genes in MEF2A morphants suggests that sarcomere assembly disturbances account for the cardiac contractile deficiency. Our studies suggested that MEF2A is essential in cardiac contractility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, Shanghai Medical School and Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China.
authors.forename: Yue-Xiang
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lin-Xi
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Qiu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yong-Xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Xue-Fei
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xin-Ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Tao P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Hou-Yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D064326:MEF2 Transcription Factors; D008845:Microinjections; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D010641:Phenotype; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012326:RNA Splicing; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D064326:MEF2 Transcription Factors; C578035:MEF2A protein, human; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors