Gene expression in mouse neonatal cardiomyocytes, cardiac fibroblasts, reprogramming failed GFP- cells, and GFP+ iCMs . Mus musculus

The reprogramming of fibroblast cells to induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells raises the possibility that a somatic cell could be reprogrammed to an alternative differentiated fate without first becoming a stem/progenitor cell. A large pool of fibroblast cells exists in the post-natal heart, yet no single “master regulator” of direct cardiac reprogramming has been identified. Here, we report that a combination of three developmental transcription factors (i.e., Gata4, Mef2c and Tbx5) rapidly and efficiently reprogrammed post-natal cardiac or tail-tip fibroblasts directly into differentiated cardiomyocyte-like cells. Induced cardiomyocytes expressed cardiac-specific markers, had a global gene expression profile similar to cardiomyocytes, and contracted spontaneously. Fibroblast cells transplanted into mouse hearts one day after transduction of the three factors also differentiated into cardiomyocyte-like cells. These findings demonstrate that functional cardiomyocytes can be directly reprogrammed from differentiated somatic cells by defined factors. Reprogramming of endogenous or explanted fibroblast cells might provide a source of cardiomyocytes for regenerative approaches. Overall design: To compare the progressive global gene expression pattern of iCMs, cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts, we isolated RNA from mouse neonatal cardiomyocytes, cardiac fibroblasts, reprogramming failed GFP- cells and GFP+ iCMs, and profiled mRNA expressions by microarray analyses. Arrays were performed using Affymetrix mouse Gene 1.0 ST arrays. Analysis was performed on three biological replicates for each group.