Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Dupuis, Loren E.
• Kern, Christine B.

Titel

Small leucine‐rich proteoglycans exhibit unique spatiotemporal expression profiles during cardiac valve development

Ist Teil von

• Developmental dynamics, 2014-04, Vol.243 (4), p.601-611

Ort / Verlag

United States: Wiley Subscription Services, Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2014

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Background: Small Leucine Rich Proteoglycans (SLRPs) play a role in collagen fiber formation and also function as signaling molecules. Given the importance of collagen synthesis to the cardiovascular extracellular matrix (ECM), we examined the spatiotemporal expression of SLRPs, not previously investigated in the murine heart. Results: Cardiac expression using antibodies specific for biglycan (BGN), decorin (DCN), fibromodulin (FMOD), and lumican (LUM) revealed distinct patterns among the SLRPs in mesenchymal‐derived tissues. DCN showed the most intense localization within the developing valve cusps, while LUM was evident primarily in the hinge region of postnatal cardiac valves. BGN, DCN, and FMOD were immunolocalized to regions where cardiac valves anchor into adjacent tissues. Medial (BGN) and adventitial (BGN, DCN, FMOD and LUM) layers of the pulmonary and aortic arteries also showed intense staining of SLRPs but this spatiotemporal expression varied with developmental age. Conclusions: The unique expression patterns of SLRPs suggest they have adapted to specialized roles in the cardiovascular ECM. SLRP expression patterns overlap with areas where TGFβ signaling is critical to the developing heart. Therefore, we speculate that SLRPs may not only be required to facilitate collagen fiber formation but may also regulate TGFβ signaling in the murine heart. Developmental Dynamics 243:601–611, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Key Findings Decorin is prominently expressed in maturing and adult cardiac valve cusps. Biglycan expression is localized to regions of elastin synthesis in the arterial wall and cardiac valves. Fibromodulin shows restricted expression in the annulus and valve hinge of the murine heart. Lumican expression increases throughout postnatal cardiac valve maturation. SLRP expression overlaps with regions of TGFβ signaling in the murine heart.