A homologue of Drosophila tissue polarity gene frizzled is expressed in migrating myofibroblasts in the infarcted rat heart
W. Matthijs Blankesteijn1, 3, Yvonne P.G. Essers-Janssen1, Monique J.A. Verluyten2, Mat J.A.P. Daemen2
& Jos F.M. Smits1
1Department of Pharmacology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
2Department of Pathology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
3Correspondence should be addressed to W.M.B.
Myocardial infarction results in the formation of granulation tissue in the injured ventricular wall. This tissue contains myofibroblasts in highly organized arrays; their contractile properties may help to prevent the infarct area from dilatation. The mechanisms that control myofibroblast alignment are unknown. We found that myofibroblasts express a homologue of Drosophila tissue polarity gene frizzled (fz2) when migrating into the granulation tissue. The expression is decreased after the cells have aligned. This suggests that fz2 is involved in the spatial control of cardiac wound repair after infarction, possibly through intra- and inter-cellular transmission of polarity signals as in developing Drosophila. Mutations in the fz2 gene may impair myofibroblast alignment in the infarct area, thereby resulting in ventricular dilatation and aneurism following infarction.
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