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Hoffmann, R. A wiki for the life sciences where authorship matters. Nature Genetics (2008)
 
 
 
 
 

Mitochondrial death protein Nix is induced in cardiac hypertrophy and triggers apoptotic cardiomyopathy.

Loss of cardiomyocytes through programmed cell death is a key event in the development of heart failure, but the inciting molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. We used microarray analysis to identify a genetic program for myocardial apoptosis in Gq-mediated and pressure-overload cardiac hypertrophy. A critical component of this apoptotic program was Nix/Bnip3L. Nix localized to mitochondria and caused release of cytochrome c, activation of caspase-3 and apoptotic cell death, when expressed in HEK293 fibroblasts. A previously undescribed truncated Nix isoform, termed sNix, was not targeted to mitochondria but heterodimerized with Nix and protected against Nix-mediated apoptosis. Forced in vivo myocardial expression of Nix resulted in apoptotic cardiomyopathy and rapid death. Conversely, sNix protected against apoptotic peripartum cardiomyopathy in G(alpha)q-overexpressors. Thus, Nix/Bnip3L is upregulated in myocardial hypertrophy, and is both necessary and sufficient for Gq-mediated apoptosis of cardiomyocytes and resulting hypertrophy decompensation.[1]

References

  1. Mitochondrial death protein Nix is induced in cardiac hypertrophy and triggers apoptotic cardiomyopathy. Yussman, M.G., Toyokawa, T., Odley, A., Lynch, R.A., Wu, G., Colbert, M.C., Aronow, B.J., Lorenz, J.N., Dorn, G.W. Nat. Med. (2002) [Pubmed]
 
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