科學(xué)家們確認(rèn)了一組分子信號,，這些信號可激活包圍哺乳動物心臟的保護(hù)性的,，及可能是修復(fù)性的組織層。這一發(fā)現(xiàn)可能最終會帶來修復(fù)心臟損害的新策略,。
該被稱作心外膜的組織在發(fā)育中會提供必需的生長因子和干細(xì)胞。它在成年期會處于休眠狀態(tài),，但在心臟受損時(shí)會被重新激活,。這一反應(yīng)重新激活了那些在發(fā)育時(shí)幫助心臟生長的基因,，但是引起這一過程的機(jī)制則一直是未知的。
Guo Huang及其同事在研究小鼠模型時(shí)發(fā)現(xiàn),，所謂的C/EBP轉(zhuǎn)錄因子激活了發(fā)育和損傷時(shí)的心外膜,。阻斷受傷心臟的心外膜中的C/EBP信號傳導(dǎo)可減少炎癥并改善心臟功能。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi: 10.1126/science.1229765
PMC:
PMID:
C/EBP Transcription Factors Mediate Epicardial Activation During Heart Development and Injury
Guo N. Huang, Jeffrey E. Thatcher, John McAnally, Yongli Kong, Xiaoxia Qi, Wei Tan, J. Michael DiMaio, James F. Amatruda, Robert D. Gerard, Joseph A. Hill, Rhonda Bassel-Duby, Eric N. Olson
The epicardium encapsulates the heart and functions as a source of multipotent progenitor cells and paracrine factors essential for cardiac development and repair. Injury of the adult heart results in reactivation of a developmental gene program in the epicardium, but the transcriptional basis of epicardial gene expression has not been delineated. We established a mouse embryonic heart organ culture and gene expression system that facilitated the identification of epicardial enhancers activated during heart development and injury. Epicardial activation of these enhancers depends on a combinatorial transcriptional code centered on CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) transcription factors. Disruption of C/EBP signaling in the adult epicardium reduced injury-induced neutrophil infiltration and improved cardiac function. These findings reveal a transcriptional basis for epicardial activation and heart injury, providing a platform for enhancing cardiac regeneration.
