bioRxiv Science⌕ Search
Home/Archive/bioRxiv

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2024.12.10.627787

Quantification of morphological, functional, and biochemical features of H9c2 rat cardiomyoblast retinoic acid differentiation

York, N. S.·Rivera, J. E.·Manesh, M. R.·Lynes-Ford, K. W.·Smith, R.·Wicki-Stordeur, L. E.·Arbour, L. T.·Swayne, L. A.
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Cell culture models enable advancement in our understanding of heart development and heart disease. The H9c2 rat ventricular cardiomyoblast cell line can be differentiated, recapitulating certain components of cardiomyocyte development; however, morphological, functional, and biochemical changes are rarely investigated in parallel, thereby limiting fulsome understanding. We therefore characterized morphology, Ca2+ handling, and gene expression after five days (5 days-in-vitro, DIV5), and fourteen days (DIV14) of exposure to differentiation stimuli, consisting of retinoic acid and low serum. We observed several morphological changes with increasing time in differentiation, including increased mean length, area, eccentricity, and multinucleation, as well as an increase in actin clusters. Spontaneous Ca2+ transients in differentiated H9c2 cells had decreased frequency and synchronicity compared to those observed in primary cardiomyocytes. Additionally, key cardiomyocyte cytoskeletal proteins and ion channel transcript and protein expression levels changed significantly with differentiation, in alignment with changes normally observed in cardiomyocyte development. Our findings suggest H9c2 cells may be used as a high throughput screening model to investigate cardiomyocyte biology in certain developmental contexts with relevance to heart health and disease. HighlightsO_LIWe quantified morphology, Ca2+ handling, and gene expression changes in rat ventricular cardiomyoblast H9c2 cells across retinoic acid differentiation. C_LIO_LIWe compared multiple differentiation time points (mainly DIV0, DIV5, and DIV14) and observed time-dependent changes in all 3 aspects. We observed several morphological changes with increasing time in differentiation, including increased mean length, area, eccentricity, and multinucleation, as well as an increase in actin clusters. We observed the onset of spontaneous Ca2+ transients with differentiation, with further changes in subpopulations with increasing time in differentiation. Finally, we observed multiple changes in gene expression consistent with cardiomyocyte differentiation. C_LIO_LIWe summarize these parallel time-point dependent changes in morphology, Ca2+ handing, and gene expression to enable other researchers to optimize their study design. C_LI

Source connections

Explore related subjects

cell biologyPreprint

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

York, N. S., Rivera, J. E., Manesh, M. R., Lynes-Ford, K. W., Smith, R., Wicki-Stordeur, L. E., Arbour, L. T., Swayne, L. A.. 2024-12-12. Quantification of morphological, functional, and biochemical features of H9c2 rat cardiomyoblast retinoic acid differentiation. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.10.627787

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related preprints

bioRxiv2026

Nucleosome Core Allostery Governs Chromatin Recognition and Cell Fate

Nucleosomes regulate chromatin folding, accessibility, and factor recruitment. Current models primarily attribute these functions to histone tail modifications, while the core is largely viewed as a structural scaffold. Yet subtle changes within the nucleosome core can produce profound functional consequences, and the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Here, we describe nucleosome core allostery as a fundamental principle of chromatin regulation that amplifies the impact of minimal nucleosome variations. Leveraging natural differences between H2A.Z variants, we show that the nucleosome core encodes distinct conformational dynamics that propagate allosterically, thereby controlling nucleosome accessibility and recognition by chromatin factors. As a result, a single buried amino acid substitution alone is sufficient to reprogram nucleosome dynamics and bias cell identity. Our findings establish the nucleosome core as an allosteric regulatory module and provide a generalizable framework for how subtle variation within nucleosomes is amplified into diverse biological outcomes in development and disease.

cell biology↗
bioRxiv2026

SOX4 Reprograms Adipose Stromal Cells into a Cancer-Associated Fibroblast-like State to Drive Metabolic Disease

Pathogenic adipose tissue remodeling promotes metabolic disease in obesity, but the mechanisms that establish this unhealthy tissue state remain poorly understood. Here, we show that obesity drives SOX4-dependent reprogramming of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) into cancer-associated fibroblast-like (CAF-like) cells that promote adipose tissue dysfunction. TGF{beta} signaling is elevated in obesity and activates SOX4 in mouse and human MSCs, inducing their conversion to a CAF-like state. In mice, MSC-specific SOX4 activation induces the CAF-like program and exacerbates adipose tissue inflammation and glucose intolerance, whereas Sox4 deletion attenuates inflammation and improves glucose homeostasis during obesity. We further identify the growth factor Midkine (MDK) as a SOX4-regulated paracrine effector produced by CAF-like cells. MDK inhibition in obese mice reduces adipose tissue inflammation and improves metabolic function. Together, these findings define a TGF{beta}-SOX4-MDK stromal signaling axis that drives pathological adipose tissue remodeling in obesity and highlight this pathway as a potential therapeutic target for improving metabolic health.

cell biology↗
bioRxiv2026

PDLIM5 Modulates YAP1 Localisation and Fibrogenic Gene Expression in Hepatic Stellate Cells

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the key cellular drivers of liver fibrosis. During liver injury and chronic inflammation HSCs adopt an activated phenotype and secrete fibrotic extracellular matrix (ECM) components such as collagen 1. Mechanical cues derived from the fibrotic ECM drive and support the activation of HSCs, via mechanisms that involve integrins and the mechano-sensitive transcriptional regulator YAP1. It is not yet well understood how external mechanical cues are translated into a molecular response that alters YAP1 nuclear shuttling. There is evidence that suggests the PDZ and LIM domain protein (PDLIM) 5 can regulate YAP1 shuttling in human epithelial cells. We therefore investigated whether PDLIM5 is expressed in HSCs and contributes to YAP1 associated HSC mechano-activation. PDLIM5 protein was detected in HSCs in fibrotic human and mouse liver. PDLIM5 transcript and protein were expressed by primary human and mouse HSCs and by the immortalised HSC LX-2 cell line. PDLIM5 localised with actin stress fibres suggesting a role in HSC adhesion. Co-immunoprecipitation and proximity ligation in LX-2 cells support an association between PDLIM5 and YAP1. We used pharmacological (paclitaxel) and genetic (siRNA and CRISPRi) approaches to inhibit PDLIM5 in HSCs. Inhibiting PDLIM5 reduced YAP1 nuclear localisation and fibrotic gene (COL1A1, ACTA2) expression in LX-2 cells. Overall, these data support a role for PDLIM5 in regulating YAP1 localisation and fibrogenic gene expression in HSCs.

cell biology↗