Identification of teleosttnnc1aenhancers for specific pan-cardiac transcription

AbstractTroponin C regulates muscle contraction by forming the troponin complex with troponin I and troponin T. Different muscle types express different troponin C genes. The mechanisms of such differential transcription are not fully understood. The Zebrafish tnnc1a gene is restrictively expressed in cardiac muscles. We here identify the enhancers and promoters of the zebrafish and medakatnnc1agenes, including intronic enhancers in zebrafish and medaka and an upstream enhancer in the medaka. The intronic and upstream enhancers are likely functionally redundant. The GFP transgenic reporter driven by these enhancers is expressed more strongly in the ventricle than in the atrium, recapitulating the expression pattern of the endogenous zebrafishtnnc1agene. Our study identifies a new set of enhancers for cardiac-specific transgenic expression in zebrafish. These enhancers can serve as tools for future identification of transcription factor networks that drive cardiac-specific gene transcription.