An essential role of Bmp4 in the atrioventricular septation of the mouse heart

• Published in: Genes & development Vol. 17; no. 19; pp. 2362 - 2367
• Main Authors: Jiao, Kai, Kulessa, Holger, Tompkins, Kevin, Zhou, Yingna, Batts, Lorene, Baldwin, H Scott, Hogan, Brigid L M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 01-10-2003
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Newborn; atrioventricular canal defect; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins - physiology; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Heart - embryology; Heart - growth & development; Heart Defects, Congenital - genetics; Heart Defects, Congenital - pathology; Mice; Mice, Mutant Strains; Mice, Transgenic; Myocytes, Cardiac - physiology; Research Communications; Signal Transduction; Transforming Growth Factor beta - genetics; Transforming Growth Factor beta - metabolism; Transforming Growth Factor beta2; valvulogenesis
• ISSN: 0890-9369; 1549-5477
• DOI: 10.1101/gad.1124803

Proper septation and valvulogenesis during cardiogenesis depend on interactions between the myocardium and the endocardium. By combining use of a hypomorphic Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (Bmp4) allele with conditional gene inactivation, we here identify Bmp4 as a signal from the myocardium directly mediating atrioventricular septation. Defects in this process cause one of the most common human congenital heart abnormalities, atrioventricular canal defect (AVCD). The spectrum of defects obtained through altering Bmp4 expression in the myocardium recapitulates the range of AVCDs diagnosed in patients, thus providing a useful genetic model with AVCD as the primary defect.