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A salamander model for atrial septal defects and cardiopulmonary evolution
Author(s) -
Lewis Zachary,
Hanken James
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.552.2
Subject(s) - salamander , biology , transcriptome , atrial septum , anatomy , gene , zoology , cardiology , medicine , genetics , gene expression
Congenital atrial septal defects (ASDs) rank among the three most common birth defects in humans. However, the proportion of ASDs with a known genetic basis is small. New methods, models and systems for studying ASD are needed to further our understanding of its etiology and to develop possible treatments. We demonstrate that salamanders offer an effective model for studying ASD. Surprisingly, most salamander species have no lungs. By making 3‐D reconstructions of a broad sample of salamander species, both lunged and lungless, we resolve the morphology of the atrial septum in lungless salamanders. These lungless salamanders naturally display heart morphology that resembles ASDs in humans. Transcriptome sequencing provides evidence that pleiotropic genes control both lung development and atrial septum formation in the same species. Alterations in expression of these genes may result in lung loss as well as morphological changes in the atrial septum. Lungless salamanders provide a useful model of ASD and offer insight into the evolution and development of the cardiopulmonary system.