Role of FOXO3a in Heart Failure

Does the transcription factor FOXO3a regulate BNIP3 gene expression in the heart? In this podcast, Associate Editor Ajay Shah (King’s College London) interviews lead author Antoine Chaanine (Mayo Clinic) and content expert Christoph Maack (Universitatsklinikum des Saarlandes) about the new work by Chaanine and co-authors exploring whether FOXO3a plays a role in mitochondrial dysfunction and myocardial remodeling via BNIP3. Looking at both myocytes and in vivo responses, the authors focus on the microdomain between the sarcoplasmic reticulum and the mitochondria, as well as the intricate balance of SR calcium release and mitochondrial calcium uptake. Is the FOXO3a-BNIP3 pathway involved in diastolic dysfunction in heart failure, or is the primary effect on adverse myocardial remodeling which in turn affects end-diastolic function? Listen to find out.

 

Antoine Heni Chaanine, Erik Kohlbrenner, Scott I. Gamb, Adam J. Guenzel, Katherine A. Klaus, Ahmed U. Fayyaz, K Sreekumaran Nair, Roger J. Hajjar, Margaret M. Redfield FOXO3a Regulates BNIP3 and Modulates Mitochondrial Calcium, Dynamics and Function in Cardiac Stress Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published September 30, 2016. DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00549.2016