Enhancement of vertebrate cardiogenesis by a lectin from perivitelline fluid of horseshoe crab embryo.
Cardiac myocytes are the first cells to differentiate during the development of a vertebrate embryo. A wide variety of molecules take part in various steps in this process. While exploring biologically active molecules from marine sources, we found that a constituent of perivitelline fluid from embryos of the Indian horseshoe crab can enhance growth and differentiation of chick embryonic heart. We have purified the factor and identified the cardiac promoting molecule to be a novel lectin. We show that this molecule influences cardiac development by increasing the number of cells constituting the heart and by modulating the expression of several cardiac development regulatory genes in chick embryos. Using mouse embryonic stem cells we show that the cardiac myocyte-enhancing capacity of this molecule extends to mammals and its effects can be blocked using methylated sugars. This molecule may prove to be an important tool in the study of cardiomyocyte differentiation.
Ghaskadbi
S
S
Agharkar Research Institute, G.G. Agarkar Road, Pune, 411 004, India. ghaskadbi@gmail.com
Patwardhan
V
V
Chakraborthy
M
M
Agrawal
S
S
Verma
M K
MK
Chatterjee
A
A
Lenka
N
N
Parab
P B
PB
D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D002645:Chickens; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism*; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D054262:Gastrulation / Q000187:drug effects; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology*; D006410:Hematopoiesis / Q000187:drug effects; D006737:Horseshoe Crabs / Q000196:embryology*; D037102:Lectins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000187:drug effects; D038081:Organogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000196:embryology*; D014817:Vitelline Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099176:Noggin Protein
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D037102:Lectins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D000099176:Noggin Protein; C071555:VMHC1 protein, Gallus gallus