Dynamic Expression Profiles of β-Catenin during Murine Cardiac Valve Development

• Main Authors: Lilong Guo, Janiece Glover, Alyssa Risner, Christina Wang, Diana Fulmer, Kelsey Moore, Cortney Gensemer, Mary Kate Rumph, Reece Moore, Tyler Beck, Russell A. Norris
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-08-01
• Series: Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease
• Subjects: β-catenin; cardiac development; Lef-1; valve morphogenesis
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/7/3/31

β-catenin has been widely studied in many animal and organ systems across evolution, and gain or loss of function has been linked to a number of human diseases. Yet fundamental knowledge regarding its protein expression and localization remains poorly described. Thus, we sought to define whether there was a temporal and cell-specific regulation of β-catenin activities that correlate with distinct cardiac morphological events. Our findings indicate that activated nuclear β-catenin is primarily evident early in gestation. As development proceeds, nuclear β-catenin is down-regulated and becomes restricted to the membrane in a subset of cardiac progenitor cells. After birth, little β-catenin is detected in the heart. The co-expression of β-catenin with its main transcriptional co-factor, Lef1, revealed that Lef1 and β-catenin expression domains do not extensively overlap in the cardiac valves. These data indicate mutually exclusive roles for Lef1 and β-catenin in most cardiac cell types during development. Additionally, these data indicate diverse functions for β-catenin within the nucleus and membrane depending on cell type and gestational timing. Cardiovascular studies should take into careful consideration both nuclear and membrane β-catenin functions and their potential contributions to cardiac development and disease.