GATA4, an essential cardiogenic transcription factor, provides a model for dominant transcription factor mutations in human disease. Dominant GATA4 mutations cause congenital heart disease (CHD), specifically atrial and atrioventricular septal defects (ASDs and AVSDs). We found that second heart field (SHF)-specific Gata4 heterozygote embryos recapitulated the AVSDs observed in germline Gata4 heterozygote embryos. A proliferation defect of SHF atrial septum progenitors and hypoplasia of the dorsal mesenchymal protrusion, rather than anlage of the atrioventricular septum, were observed in this model. Knockdown of the cell-cycle repressor phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten) restored cell-cycle progression and rescued the AVSDs. Gata4 mutants also demonstrated Hedgehog (Hh) signaling defects. Gata4 acts directly upstream of Hh components: Gata4 activated a cisregulatory element at Gli1 in vitro and occupied the element in vivo. Remarkably, SHF-specific constitutive Hh signaling activation rescued AVSDs in Gata4 SHF-specific heterozygous knockout embryos. Pten expression was unchanged in Smoothened mutants, and Hh pathway genes were unchanged in Pten mutants, suggesting pathway independence. Thus, both the cell-cycle and Hh-signaling defects caused by dominant Gata4 mutations were required for CHD pathogenesis, suggesting a combinatorial model of disease causation by transcription factor haploinsufficiency.Gata4 | ASDs | Hedgehog signaling | second heart field | cell cycle

The mechanisms used by embryos to pattern tissues across their axes has fascinated developmental biologists since the founding of embryology. Here, using single-cell technology, we interrogate complex patterning defects and define a Hedgehog (Hh)–fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling axis required for anterior mesoderm lineage development during gastrulation. Single-cell transcriptome analysis of Hh-deficient mesoderm revealed selective deficits in anterior mesoderm populations, culminating in defects to anterior embryonic structures, including the pharyngeal arches, heart, and anterior somites. Transcriptional profiling of Hh-deficient mesoderm during gastrulation revealed disruptions to both transcriptional patterning of the mesoderm and FGF signaling for mesoderm migration. Mesoderm-specificFgf4/Fgf8double-mutants recapitulated anterior mesoderm defects and Hh-dependent GLI transcription factors modulated enhancers at FGF gene loci. Cellular migration defects during gastrulation induced by Hh pathway antagonism were mitigated by the addition of FGF4 protein. These findings implicate a multicomponent signaling hierarchy activated by Hh ligands from the embryonic node and executed by FGF signals in nascent mesoderm to control anterior mesoderm patterning.

The application of single cell technologies to early development holds promise for resolving complex developmental phenotypes. Here we define a novel role for Hedgehog (Hh) signaling for the formation of anterior mesoderm lineages during gastrulation. Single-cell transcriptome analysis of Hh-deficient mesoderm revealed selective deficits in anterior mesoderm populations that later translate to physical defects to anterior embryonic structures including the first pharyngeal arch, heart, and anterior somites. We found that Hh-dependent anterior mesoderm defects were cell non-autonomous to Hh-signal reception.Transcriptional profiling of Hh-deficient mesoderm during gastrulation revealed disruptions to both transcriptional patterning of the mesoderm and a key FGF signaling pathway for mesoderm migration. FGF4 protein application was able to restore cellular migration during gastrulation that was decreased by Hh pathway antagonism. These findings implicate that primitive streak-mediated regulation of anterior mesoderm patterning is controlled by a multicomponent signaling hierarchy activated by Hh signaling and executed by FGF signal transduction.

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