iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes reveal abnormal TGF-β signalling in left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy

Nat Cell Biol. 2016 Oct;18(10):1031-42. doi: 10.1038/ncb3411. Epub 2016 Sep 19.

Abstract

Left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) is the third most prevalent cardiomyopathy in children and its pathogenesis has been associated with the developmental defect of the embryonic myocardium. We show that patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) generated from LVNC patients carrying a mutation in the cardiac transcription factor TBX20 recapitulate a key aspect of the pathological phenotype at the single-cell level and this was associated with perturbed transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signalling. LVNC iPSC-CMs have decreased proliferative capacity due to abnormal activation of TGF-β signalling. TBX20 regulates the expression of TGF-β signalling modifiers including one known to be a genetic cause of LVNC, PRDM16, and genome editing of PRDM16 caused proliferation defects in iPSC-CMs. Inhibition of TGF-β signalling and genome correction of the TBX20 mutation were sufficient to reverse the disease phenotype. Our study demonstrates that iPSC-CMs are a useful tool for the exploration of pathological mechanisms underlying poorly understood cardiomyopathies including LVNC.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cardiomyopathies / genetics
  • Cardiomyopathies / metabolism*
  • Heart Defects, Congenital / genetics
  • Heart Defects, Congenital / metabolism
  • Heart Ventricles / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism*
  • Phenotype
  • Signal Transduction
  • T-Box Domain Proteins / genetics
  • T-Box Domain Proteins / metabolism
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / metabolism*

Substances

  • T-Box Domain Proteins
  • TBX20 protein, human
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta

Supplementary concepts

  • Noncompaction of Left Ventricular Myocardium with Congenital Heart Defects