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| Subject Categories: Cell Cycle | Development |
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| The EMBO Journal
(2005) 24, 1750–1761, doi:10.1038/sj.emboj.7600652 Published online 21 April 2005 |
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| Interplay between the retinoblastoma protein and LEK1 specifies stem cells toward the cardiac lineage |
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| Evangelia Papadimou1, Claudine Ménard, Corinne Grey and Michel Pucéat |
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CRBM, CNRS FRE 2593, Montpellier, France To whom correspondence should be addressed Michel Pucéat, CRBM, CNRS FRE 2593, 1919, route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France. Tel.: +33 467 61 34 32; Fax: +33 467 52 15 59; E-mail: michel.puceat@crbm.cnrs.fr 1 Present address: Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milano, Milano, Italy Received 23 November 2004; Accepted 30 March 2005; Published online 21 April 2005. |
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| Abstract |
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| The molecular mechanisms governing early cardiogenesis are still largely unknown. Interestingly, the retinoblastoma protein (Rb), a regulator of cell cycle, has recently emerged as a new candidate regulating cell differentiation. Rb-/- mice die at midgestation and mice lacking E2f1/E2f3, downstream components of the Rb-dependent transcriptional pathway, die of heart failure. To gain insight into the function of Rb pathway in early cardiogenesis, we used Rb-/- embryonic stem (ES) cells differentiating into cardiomyocytes. Rb-/- cells displayed a dramatic delay in expression of cardiac-specific transcription factors and in turn in the whole process of cardiac differentiation. The phenotype of Rb-/- ES cell-derived cardiomyocytes was rescued by reintroducing Rb in cardiac progenitors, by stimulating the BMP-dependent cardiogenic pathway or by overexpression of Nkx2.5. ES cells deficient in the recently identified factor LEK1, a murine homolog of the cardiomyogenic factor 1, or specific disruption of Rb–LEK1 interaction into the nucleus of differentiating ES cells recapitulated the delay in cardiac differentiation of Rb-/- ES cells. Thus, we provide evidence for a novel Rb/LEK1-dependent and BMP-independent transcriptional program, which plays a pivotal role in priming ES cells toward a cardiac fate. |
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| Keywords: cardiogenesis, cell differentiation, stem cell |
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Top of page MORE ARTICLES LIKE THISThese links to content published by NPG are automatically generated RESEARCHJournal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism Original Article Mitochondrial oxidative metabolism is required for the cardiac differentiation of stem cells Nature Clinical Practice Cardiovascular Medicine Article (01 Feb 2007) Mitochondrial oxidative metabolism is required for the cardiac differentiation of stem cells Nature Clinical Practice Cardiovascular Medicine Article (01 Feb 2007) |
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