title: Interferon regulatory factor 9 protects against cardiac hypertrophy by targeting myocardin.
abstract: Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is a major risk factor for heart failure. In this study, we identified interferon regulatory factor 9 (IRF9), a member of the IRF family, as a previously unidentified negative regulator of cardiac hypertrophy. The level of IRF9 expression was remarkably elevated in the hearts from animals with aortic banding-induced cardiac hypertrophy. IRF9-deficient mice exhibited pronounced cardiac hypertrophy after pressure overload, as demonstrated by increased cardiomyocyte size, extensive fibrosis, reduced cardiac function, and enhanced expression of hypertrophy markers, whereas transgenic mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of murine IRF9 exhibited a significant reduction in the hypertrophic response. Mechanistically, IRF9 competes with p300 for binding to the transcription activation domain of myocardin, a coactivator of serum response factor (SRF). This interaction markedly suppresses the transcriptional activity of myocardin because IRF9 overexpression strongly inhibits the ability of myocardin to activate CArG box-dependent reporters. These results provide compelling evidence that IRF9 inhibits the development of cardiac hypertrophy by suppressing the transcriptional activity of myocardin in the heart.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Jiefang Rd 238, Wuhan 430060, PR China. lihl@whu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ding-Sheng
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yu-Xuan
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hou-Zao
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shu-Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Guo-Chang
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Peter P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: De-Pei
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hongliang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D050834:Interferon-Stimulated Gene Factor 3, gamma Subunit / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D000099251:Myocardin
chemical_list: D050834:Interferon-Stimulated Gene Factor 3, gamma Subunit; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D000099251:Myocardin; C494228:Isgf3g protein, mouse
keywords: IRF9 protein, mouse; cardiomegaly; fibrosis; myocardin