E2A ablation enhances proportion of nodal-like cardiomyocytes in cardiac-specific differentiation of human embryonic stem cells

Xiuya Li; Fei Gao; Xiaochen Wang; Qianqian Liang; Aobing Bai; Zhuo Liu; Xinyun Chen; Ermin Li; Sifeng Chen; Chao Lu; Ruizhe Qian; Ning Sun; Ping Liang; Chen Xu

EBioMedicine (Sep 2021)

E2A ablation enhances proportion of nodal-like cardiomyocytes in cardiac-specific differentiation of human embryonic stem cells

Xiuya Li,
Fei Gao,
Xiaochen Wang,
Qianqian Liang,
Aobing Bai,
Zhuo Liu,
Xinyun Chen,
Ermin Li,
Sifeng Chen,
Chao Lu,
Ruizhe Qian,
Ning Sun,
Ping Liang,
Chen Xu

Affiliations

Xiuya Li: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bioactive Small Molecules, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Health Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University,Shanghai 200092, China
Fei Gao: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bioactive Small Molecules, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Xiaochen Wang: Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China
Qianqian Liang: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bioactive Small Molecules, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Aobing Bai: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bioactive Small Molecules, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Zhuo Liu: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bioactive Small Molecules, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Xinyun Chen: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bioactive Small Molecules, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Ermin Li: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bioactive Small Molecules, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Sifeng Chen: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bioactive Small Molecules, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Chao Lu: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bioactive Small Molecules, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Ruizhe Qian: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bioactive Small Molecules, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Ning Sun: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bioactive Small Molecules, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Key Lab of Birth Defect, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Clinical Geriatric Medicine, Research Center on Aging and Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Corresponding authors at: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China. Also at Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China.
Ping Liang: Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China; Corresponding authors at: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China. Also at Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China.
Chen Xu: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bioactive Small Molecules, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Corresponding authors at: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China. Also at Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 71
p. 103575

Abstract

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Background: Human sinoatrial cardiomyocytes are essential building blocks for cell therapies of conduction system disorders. However, current differentiation protocols for deriving nodal cardiomyocytes from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are very inefficient. Methods: By employing the hPSCs to cardiomyocyte (CM) in vitro differentiation system and generating E2A-knockout hESCs using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology, we analyze the functions of E2A in CM differentiation. Findings: We found that knockout of the transcription factor E2A substantially increased the proportion of nodal-like cells in hESC-derived CMs. The E2A ablated CMs displayed smaller cell size, increased beating rates, weaker contractile force, and other functional characteristics similar to sinoatrial node (SAN) cells. Transcriptomic analyses indicated that ion channel-encoding genes were up-regulated in E2A ablated CMs. E2A directly bounded to the promoters of genes key to SAN development via conserved E-box motif, and promoted their expression. Unexpect enhanced activity of NOTCH pathway after E2A ablation could also facilate to induct ventricle workingtype CMs reprogramming into SAN-like cells. Interpretation: Our study revealed a new role for E2A during directed cardiac differentiation of hESCs and may provide new clues for enhancing induction efficiency of SAN-like cardiomyocytes from hPSCs in the future. Funding: This work was supported by the NSFC (No.82070391, N.S.; No.81870175 and 81922006, P.L.), the National Key R&D Program of China (2018YFC2000202, N.S.; 2017YFA0103700, P.L.), the Haiju program of National Children's Medical Center EK1125180102, and Innovative research team of high-level local universities in Shanghai and a key laboratory program of the Education Commission of Shanghai Municipality (ZDSYS14005).

Published in EBioMedicine

ISSN: 2352-3964 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Medicine: Medicine (General)
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/ebiomedicine/

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