title: Gap junctional regulation of pressure, fluid force, and electrical fields in the epigenetics of cardiac morphogenesis and remodeling.
abstract: Epigenetic factors of pressure load, fluid force, and electrical fields that occur during cardiac contraction affect cardiac development, morphology, function, and pathogenesis. These factors are orchestrated by intercellular communication mediated by gap junctions, which synchronize action potentials and second messengers. Misregulation of the gap junction protein connexin (Cx) alters cardiogenesis, and can be a pathogenic factor causing cardiac conduction disturbance, fatal arrhythmia, and cardiac remodeling in disease states such as hypertension and ischemia. Changes in Cx expression can occur even when the DNA sequence of the Cx gene itself is unaltered. Posttranslational modifications might reduce arrhythmogenic substrates, improve cardiac function, and promote remodeling in a diseased heart. In this review, we discuss the epigenetic features of gap junctions that regulate cardiac morphology and remodeling. We further discuss potential clinical applications of current knowledge of the structure and function of gap junctions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan; Support Center for Women Health Care Professionals and Researchers, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan. Electronic address: akikokub@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan.
authors.forename: Kiyomasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishii
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuhisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D017630:Connexins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000502:physiology*; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology*; D006801:Humans; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D017630:Connexins
keywords: Gap junction; Heart; Morphogenesis; Remodeling