Cell-specific ablation of Hsp47 defines the collagen producing cells in the injured heart

Overall goal: To elucidate fibroblast-specific role of Hsp47 in fibroblast activation, collagen production, and cardiac fibrosis and their differentiation to myofibroblasts. Purpose of analysis: To generate transcriptional profile of HSP47-deficient fibroblasts in the context of pathological cardiac remodeling associated with chronic pressure-overload. Overall design: Experimental structure: Activated fibroblasts (labeled with eGFP+ reporter, induced upon activation of Postn-MCM) were FACS isolated from hearts after 4-weeks of pressure-overload following transaortic coarctation (TAC) surgery in mice, with and without fibroblast-specific (Postn-MCM-driven) Hsp47 deletion. RNA was isolated from these cells, total RNA amplified, and library generated according to established procedures. Transcriptional profile was generated using RNAseq (Illumina HiSeq2500) and differential gene expression analyses carried out using AltAnalyze.