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American Heart Association

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Final ID: NBT202

Heart Tube Morphogenesis Is Regulated By Segment-Specific Gene Regulatory Networks Controlled By MEF2C

Abstract Body: The transcription factor MEF2C plays a critical role in the development of the linear heart tube, but the specific transcriptional networks controlled by MEF2C remain largely undefined. To address this, we performed combined single-nucleus RNA- and ATAC-sequencing on wild type and MEF2C-null mouse embryos at distinct stages of development. We identified a broadly “posteriorized” cardiac gene signature and chromatin landscape throughout the heart tube in the absence of MEF2C. By integrating our gene expression and chromatin accessibility data in a deep-learning based model, we were able to construct developmental trajectories for each of the outflow tract, ventricular, and inflow tract lineages and determined how each of these segment-specific trajectories were distinctly altered in the MEF2C-null embryos. We computationally identified potential segment-specific MEF2C-dependent enhancers, and from these candidates, identified novel enhancers with activity in the developing heart tube using transgenesis in zebrafish. Finally, using inferred gene regulatory networks we discovered a genetic interaction between Mef2c and the atrial nuclear hormone receptor Nr2f2, revealing that the MEF2C-null heart malformations are partly driven by a transcriptional network with increased NR2F2 activity. These studies not only provide a rich description of the genomic regulation of early heart tube development, but provide a generalizable framework for using genetic mutants to dissect the transcriptional networks that govern developmental processes.
  • Muncie-vasic, Jonathon  ( Gladstone Institutes , San Francisco , California , United States )
  • Sinha, Tanvi  ( UCSF , San Francisco , California , United States )
  • Clark, Alexander  ( University of Virginia , Charlottesville , Virginia , United States )
  • Brower, Emily  ( Gladstone Institutes , San Francisco , California , United States )
  • Saucerman, Jeffrey  ( University of Virginia , Charlottesville , Virginia , United States )
  • Black, Brian  ( UCSF , San Francisco , California , United States )
  • Bruneau, Benoit  ( Gladstone Institutes , San Francisco , California , United States )
  • Author Disclosures:
    Jonathon Muncie-Vasic: DO NOT have relevant financial relationships | Tanvi Sinha: No Answer | Alexander Clark: No Answer | Emily Brower: No Answer | Jeffrey Saucerman: No Answer | Brian Black: DO NOT have relevant financial relationships | Benoit Bruneau: DO NOT have relevant financial relationships
Meeting Info:

Basic Cardiovascular Sciences 2025

2025

Baltimore, Maryland

Session Info:

Early Career Pre-Conference Session 2: Next Best Thing

Wednesday, 07/23/2025 , 10:45AM - 11:45AM

Early Career Session

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