During heart development the second heart field (SHF) provides progenitor cells for most cardiomyocytes and expresses the homeodomain factor Nkx2-5. We now show that feedback repression of Bmp2/Smad1 signaling by Nkx2-5 critically regulates SHF proliferation and outflow tract (OFT) morphology. In the cardiac fields of Nkx2-5 mutants, genes controlling cardiac specification (including Bmp2) and maintenance of the progenitor state were upregulated, leading initially to progenitor overspecification, but subsequently to failed SHF proliferation and OFT truncation. In Smad1 mutants, SHF proliferation and deployment to the OFT were increased, while Smad1 deletion in Nkx2-5 mutants rescued SHF proliferation and OFT development. In Nkx2-5 hypomorphic mice, which recapitulate human congenital heart disease (CHD), OFT anomalies were also rescued by Smad1 deletion. Our findings demonstrate that Nkx2-5 orchestrates the transition between periods of cardiac induction, progenitor proliferation, and OFT morphogenesis via a Smad1-dependent negative feedback loop, which may be a frequent molecular target in CHD.

SUMMARY Colony-forming units – fibroblast (CFU-Fs), analogous to those giving rise to bone marrow (BM) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are present in many organs, although the relationship between BM and organ-specific CFU-Fs in homeostasis and tissue repair is unknown. Here we describe a population of adult cardiac-resident CFU-Fs (cCFU-Fs) that occupy a perivascular, adventitial niche and show broad trans-germ layer potency in vitro and in vivo. CRE lineage tracing and embryo analysis demonstrated a proepicardial origin for cCFU-Fs. Furthermore, in BM transplantation chimeras, we found no interchange between BM and cCFU-Fs after aging, myocardial infarction, or BM stem cell mobilization. BM and cardiac and aortic CFU-Fs had distinct CRE lineage signatures, indicating that they arise from different progenitor beds during development. These diverse origins for CFU-Fs suggest an underlying basis for differentiation biases seen in different CFU-F populations, and could also influence their capacity for participating in tissue repair.

Estrogens induce cell proliferation in target tissues by stimulating progression through G 1 phase of the cell cycle, but the underlying molecular targets remain undefined. To determine the role of the cyclin/cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)/retinoblastoma protein (pRB) pathway in this response we treated MCF-7 breast cancer cells with the pure estrogen antagonist ICI 182780 to inhibit estrogen-induced gene expression and induce G 1 phase arrest. Subsequent treatment with 17␤-estradiol resulted in the synchronous entry of cells into S phase commencing at 12 h. The proportion of cells in S phase reached a maximum of 60% at 21-24 h. Cells subsequently completed mitosis and entered a second semisynchronous round of replication. Entry into S phase was preceded by increased activity of both Cdk4 and cyclin E-Cdk2 and hyperphosphorylation of pRB, all within the first 3-6 h of estradiol treatment. The increase in Cdk4 activity was accompanied by increases in cyclin D1 mRNA and protein, indicating that an initiating event in the activation of Cdk4 was increased cyclin D1 gene expression. In contrast, the levels of Cdk2 and the CDK inhibitors p21 (WAF1/CIP1/SDI1) and p27 (KIP1) in total cell lysates and in cyclin E immunoprecipitates were unaltered at these early time points. However, an inhibitory activity was present in antiestrogenpretreated cell lysates toward recombinant cyclin E-Cdk2 and was relieved by estradiol treatment. This activity was attributable predominantly to p21. These apparently conflicting data were resolved by performing gel filtration chromatography, which revealed that only a minority of cyclin E-Cdk2 complexes were active following estradiol treatment. Active complexes eluted at a higher molecular weight than inactive complexes, were relatively deficient in both p21 and p27, and contained Cdk2 with increased threonine 160 phosphorylation, consistent with a mechanism of activation of cyclin E-Cdk2 involving both reduced CDK inhibitor association and CDK-activating kinase-mediated phosphorylation of Cdk2. These results provide an explanation for the early activation of both cyclin D1-Cdk4 and cyclin E-Cdk2 complexes that accompany G 1 -S phase progression in response to estradiol.