• KDM8 epigenetically controls cardiac metabolism to prevent initiation of dilated cardiomyopathy. Ahmed A, Syed JN, Chi L, Wang Y, Perez-Romero C, Lee D, Kocaqi E, Caballero A, Yang J, Escalante-Cavarrubias Q, Ishimura A, Suzuki T, Aguilar-Arnal L, Gonzales GB, Kyoung-Han K, Delgado-Olguín P. Nature Cardiovascular Research. 2, 174-191 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44161-023-00214-0.

Nature Cardiovascular Research News & Views accompanying commentary

SickKids News & Stories highlight

• Integrated small RNA, mRNA and protein omics reveal a miRNA network orchestrating metabolic maturation of the developing human heart. Aharon-Yariv A, Wang Y, Ahmed A, Delgado-Olguín P. BMC Genomics. 2023 Nov 23;24(1):709. doi: 10.1186/s12864-023-09801-8.

• G9a inactivation in progenitor cells with Isl1-Cre with reduced recombinase activity models aspects of Dandy-Walker complex. Chi L, Zhong L, Lee D, Yu X, Caballero A, Nieman B, Delgado-Olguin P. Biol Open. 2023 Aug 15;12(8):bio059894. doi: 10.1242/bio.059894.

• Maternal obesity persistently alters cardiac progenitor gene expression and programs adult-onset heart disease susceptibility. Ahmed A, Liang M, Chi L, Zhou YQ, Sled JG, Wilson MD, Delgado-Olguín P*. Mol Metab. 2020 Nov 16:101116. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2020.101116.

• Embryonic programming of heart disease in response to obesity during pregnancy. Ahmed A, Delgado-Olguín P*. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2019 Feb 10. pii: S0925-4439(19)30040-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2019.01.028.

• The transcriptional regulator CCCTC-binding factor limits oxidative stress in endothelial cells. Roy AR, Ahmed A, DiStefano PV, Chi L, Khyzha N, Galjart N, Wilson MD, Fish JE, Delgado-Olguín P*. J Biol Chem. 2018 Jun 1;293(22):8449-8461. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M117.814699

• Ezh2 is not required for cardiac regeneration in neonatal mice. Ahmed A, Wang T, Delgado-Olguin P*. PLoS One. 2018 Feb 21;13(2):e0192238. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192238

• G9a controls placental vascular maturation by activating the Notch Pathway. Chi L, Ahmed A, Roy AR, Vuong S, Cahill LS, Caporiccio L, Sled JG, Caniggia I, Wilson MD, Delgado-Olguin P*. Development. 2017 Jun 1;144(11):1976-1978. doi: 10.1242/dev.148916

Journal Development highlight: Growing a labyrinth with G9a

Interview by THE NODE: The people behind the papers: Lijun Chi and Paul Delgado-Olguin

• Ezh2-mediated repression of a transcriptional pathway upstream of Mmp9 maintains integrity of the developing vasculature. Delgado-Olguín P*, Dang LT, He D, Thomas S, Chi L, Sukonnik T, Khyzha N, Dobenecker MW, Fish JE, Bruneau BG. Development. 2014 Dec;141(23):4610-7. doi: 10.1242/dev.112607

• Expression of NOL1/NOP2/sun domain (Nsun) RNA methyltransferase family genes in early mouse embryogenesis. Chi L, Delgado-Olguín P*. Gene Expr Patterns. 2013 Dec;13(8):319-27. doi: 10.1016/j.gep.2013.06.003

• Epigenetic repression of cardiac progenitor gene expression by Ezh2 is required for postnatal cardiac homeostasis. Delgado-Olguín P, Huang Y, Li X, Christodoulou D, Seidman CE, Seidman JG, Tarakhovsky A, Bruneau BG*. Nat Genet. 2012 Jan 22;44(3):343-7. doi: 10.1038/ng.1068

Interview by BBC News: Gene switch ‘key to heart health’

Editorial highlight in journal Research Circulation: Mature Cardiomycytes Recall Their Progenitor Experience Via Polycomb Repressive Complex 2

• Loss of functional peroxisomes leads to increased mitochondrial biogenesis and reduced autophagy that preserve mitochondrial function. Chi L, Lee D, Leung S, Hu G, Wen B, Delgado-Olguin P, Vissa M, Li R, Brumell JH, Kim PK, Bandsma RHJ.Cell Mol Life Sci. 2023 Jun 20;80(7):183. doi: 10.1007/s00018-023-04827-3.

• Prevention of early-onset cardiomyopathy in Dmd exon 52-54 deletion mice by CRISPR-Cas9-mediated exon skipping. Rok M, Wong TWY, Maino E, Ahmed A, Yang G, Hyatt E, Lindsay K, Fatehi S, Marks R, Delgado-Olguín P, Ivakine EA, Cohn RD. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev. 2023 Jul 17;30:246-258. doi: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.07.004.

• MiR-30 promotes fatty acid beta-oxidation and endothelial cell dysfunction and is a circulating biomarker of coronary microvascular dysfunction in pre-clinical models of diabetes. Veitch S, Njock, MS, Chandy M, Siraj MA, Chi L, Mak HQ, Yu K, Rathnakumar K, Perez-Romero CA, Chen Z, Alibhai FJ, Gustafson D, Raju S, Wu R, Zarrin Khat D, Wang Y, Caballero A, Meagher P, Lau E, Pepic L, Cheng HS, Galant NJ, Howe KL, Li RK, Connelly KA, Husain M, Delgado-Olguín P, Fish JE. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2022 Jan; 21(1):31. doi: 10.1186/s12933-022-01458-z

• Remote ischemic conditioning counteracts the intestinal damage of necrotizing enterocolitis by improving intestinal microcirculation. Koike Y, Li B, Ganji N, Zhu H, Miyake H, Chen Y, Lee C, Lok MJ, Zozaya C, Lau E, Lee D, Chusilp S, Zhang Z, Yamoto M, Wu RY, Inoue M, Uchida K, Kusunoki M, Delgado-Olguin P, Mertens L, Daneman A, Eaton S, Sherman PM, Pierro A. Nat Commun. 2020 Oct; 11:4950. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18750-9

• DNA methylation reduces the yes-associated protein 1/WW domain containing transcription Regulator 1 Pathway and prevents pathologic remodeling during bladder obstruction by limiting expression of BDNF. Sidler M, Aitken KJ, Jiang JX, Sotiropoulos C, Aggarwal P, Anees A, Chong C, Siebenaller A, Thanabalasingam T, White JM, Choufani S, Weksberg R, Sangiorgi B, Wrana J, Delgado-Olguin P, Bägli DJ. Am J Pathol. 2018 Oct;188(10):2177-2194. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2018.06.024.

• Cell-extrinsic hematopoietic impact of Ezh2 inactivation in fetal liver endothelial cells. Neo WH, Booth CAG, Azzoni E, Chi L, Delgado-Olguín P, de Bruijn MFTR, Jacobsen SEW, Mead AJ. Blood. 2018 May 17;131(20):2223-2234. doi: 10.1182/blood-2017-10-811455.

• CTCF counter-regulates cardiomyocyte development and maturation programs in the embryonic heart. Gomez-Velazquez M, Badia-Careaga C, Lechuga-Vieco AV, Nieto-Arellano R, Tena JJ, Rollan I, Alvarez A, Torroja C, Caceres EF, Roy AR, Galjart N, Delgado-Olguin P, Sanchez-Cabo F, Enriquez JA, Gomez-Skarmeta JL, Manzanares M. PLoS Genet. 2017 Aug 28;13(8):e1006985. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006985.

• Inhibition of corticotropin-releasing hormone Receptor 1 and activation of Receptor 2 protect against colonic injury and promote epithelium repair. Li B, Lee C, Filler T, Hock A, Wu RY, Li Q, Chen S, Koike Y, Ip W, Chi L, Zani-Ruttenstock E, Määttänen P, Gonska T, Delgado-Olguín P, Zani A, Sherman PM, Pierro A. Sci Rep. 2017 May 11;7:46616. doi: 10.1038/srep46616.

• Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) infection induces proliferation through enhancer of Zeste Homologue 2 (EZH2). Ting K, Aitken KJ, Penna F, Samiei AN, Sidler M, Jiang JX, Ibrahim F, Tolg C, Delgado-Olguín P, Rosenblum N, Bägli DJ. PLoS One. 2016 Mar 10;11(3):e0149118. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149118. eCollection 2016.

• Integrin-linked kinase mediates force transduction in cardiomyocytes by modulating SERCA2a/PLN function. Traister A, Li M, Aafaqi S, Lu M, Arab S, Radisic M, Gross G, Guido F, Sherret J, Verma S, Slorach C, Mertens L, Hui W, Roy A, Delgado-Olguín P, Hannigan G, Maynes JT, Coles JG. Nat Commun. 2014 Sep 11;5:4533. doi: 10.1038/ncomms5533.

• Direct reprogramming of human fibroblasts toward a cardiomyocyte-like state. Fu JD, Stone NR, Liu L, Spencer CI, Qian L, Hayashi Y, Delgado-Olguín P, Ding S, Bruneau BG, Srivastava D. Stem Cell Reports. 2013 Aug 22;1(3):235-47. doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2013.07.005

• MicroRNA-146 represses endothelial activation by inhibiting pro-inflammatory pathways. Cheng HS, Sivachandran N, Lau A, Boudreau E, Zhao JL, Baltimore D, Delgado-Olguin P, Cybulsky MI, Fish JE. EMBO Mol Med. 2013 Jul;5(7):1017-34. doi: 10.1002/emmm.201202318.