Genetic Mechanisms of Cardiac Adaptation To Hypoxia

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The Notch pathway, as well as potential regulators or effectors HIFa/Notch signaling, have emerged as particulariy relevant for establishing and maintaining heart funcfion under hypoxic stress conditions. We generated/collected mutafions of HIFa and Notch signaling in mulfiple cardiac compartments. We have gathered data suggesfing that genefic ablation of Notch pathway acfivity in the mouse myocardium does not lead to cardiac remodeling in response to hypoxic condifions caused by myocardial infarcfion, but rather has a protective effect on cardiomyocytes after the infarct. Moreover, in the Drosophila heart model, an acute response to hypoxia (slowing of the heart rate) does not occur when Notch signaling is acfivated in the heart, and chronic hypoxia leads to a non-contracfile, infarct-like condition of the heart. In contrast, HIF/Notch mutafions in the mouse epicardium are deleterious to heart funcfion, in that the response to transaortic constricfion is aggravated and cardiac hypertrophy is increased. Thus, the epicardium plays also a crifical role in the cardiac response to hypoxia. Thus, modulafion of HIF as well as Notch signaling in various cardiac compartments is crifical for the heart to respond and tolerate hypoxic conditions. We hypothesize that the interaction between HIF and Notch pathways are key to the regulafion of the response to hypoxia, that HIF/Notch signaling elicits unique responses in the myocardium versus the epicardium, and that the HIF/Notch-dependent mechanisms protect cardiac function. In this proposal, we will study the respective contribution and interacfions of HIF and Notch signaling to hypoxia tolerance and susceptibility in the heart. Based on the evolufionary conservafion of the hypoxia response, mechanisms of cardiac hypoxia responses identified in the fly heart, involving HIF and Notch signaling, promise to be of relevance to the mammalian heart. Insights gained here are likely to lead to new avenues for finding treatments for hypoxia-induced cardiac injury.