Interactions Between akirin and simjoang During Cardiac Development
Disciplines
Cardiovascular Diseases | Genetic Processes
Abstract (300 words maximum)
One of the most fundamental organs to form during the earliest stages of development is the heart. In the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), many genes and proteins work together for the formation of a fully functioning heart. The conserved nuclear transcription cofactor Akirin has been identified as a key regulator of both the skeletal and cardiac myogenesis programs in Drosophila. The current model for Akirin function holds that this regulation of myogenesis by Akirin occurs through interactions with chromatin remodeling complex activity. Earlier work in the Nowak lab found that akirin works with the NuRD/CHD chromatin remodeling complex to facilitate proper expression of the cardiac gene program. For this study, we focused upon interactions between akirin and simjoang (simj), a key component of the NuRD/CHD complex. Using live confocal imaging, we recorded heartbeat patterns in a variety of combinations of single and double heterozygous embryos bearing mutations in akirin and simj. Our data indicates that interactions between these two loci are critical for the cardiac and skeletal muscle patterning process, strongly suggesting that NuRD/CHD activity through interaction with Akirin is a key regulator of these developmental programs.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Molecular and Cellular Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Scott J. Nowak
Interactions Between akirin and simjoang During Cardiac Development
One of the most fundamental organs to form during the earliest stages of development is the heart. In the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), many genes and proteins work together for the formation of a fully functioning heart. The conserved nuclear transcription cofactor Akirin has been identified as a key regulator of both the skeletal and cardiac myogenesis programs in Drosophila. The current model for Akirin function holds that this regulation of myogenesis by Akirin occurs through interactions with chromatin remodeling complex activity. Earlier work in the Nowak lab found that akirin works with the NuRD/CHD chromatin remodeling complex to facilitate proper expression of the cardiac gene program. For this study, we focused upon interactions between akirin and simjoang (simj), a key component of the NuRD/CHD complex. Using live confocal imaging, we recorded heartbeat patterns in a variety of combinations of single and double heterozygous embryos bearing mutations in akirin and simj. Our data indicates that interactions between these two loci are critical for the cardiac and skeletal muscle patterning process, strongly suggesting that NuRD/CHD activity through interaction with Akirin is a key regulator of these developmental programs.