The Epigenetic Landscape is a Key Determinant of Gene Expression Reprogramming in Cardiac Hypertrophy

The epigenetic signature for cardiac hypertrophy, which can progress to heart failure through an adaptive response of the myocardium to stress, is still poorly understood. The scientists at Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy report on the genome-wide distribution of seven histone modifications in adult mouse cardiomyocytes subjected to a prohypertrophy stimulus in vivo. They found a set of promoters with an epigenetic pattern that distinguishes specific functional classes of genes regulated in hypertrophy and identified 9,207 candidate active enhancers whose activity was modulated. The transcriptional network analysis within which these genetic elements act to orchestrate hypertrophy gene expression, shows a role for myocyte enhancer factors (MEF)2C and MEF2A in regulating enhancers. Their results suggest that the epigenetic landscape is a key determinant of gene expression reprogramming in cardiac hypertrophy and provide a basis for understanding the role of chromatin in regulating this phenomenon.

Source: Learn all about it and read more about their findings here: Papait R et al., Genome-wide analysis of histone marks identifying an epigenetic signature of promoters and enhancers underlying cardiac hypertrophy. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2013 Nov 27