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SEMINAR: To mend a broken heart, thou shalt learn from the ladies

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Today's date is Friday, March 29, 2024
To mend a broken heart, thou shalt learn from the ladies : School of Human Sciences Seminar Series Other events...
Dr. Yun Wah Lam received his PhD training in the lab of Dr. Davina Opstelten at the University of Hong Kong. After receiving his PhD in 1996, he joined the group of Prof. Angus Lamond in Dundee, Scotland, where he developed an interest in the relationship of the architecture of mammalian cell nucleus and the regulation of gene expression. In 2007, he joined the Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong. His team uses quantitative mass spectrometry to tackle a variety of biological projects, ranging from environmental sciences to regenerative medicine.

Abstract: Zebrafish is one of the most well-established animal models for heart regeneration. Here, we report the sexual dimorphism of zebrafish heart regeneration, with females regenerating their hearts faster than males. Estradiol treatment of males accelerated cardiac regeneration, while tamoxifen treatment of females reduced it. This sexual dimorphism was abolished by oxygen, suggesting the involvement of the Hypoxia-inducible factor 1a (HIF1a) pathway. Remarkably, cardiac damages induced plasma estrogen levels and the expression of estrogen receptor genes in zebrafish, leading to the feminisation of males, as evidenced by the detection of female-specific plasma proteins, including vitellogenins, in males during heart regeneration. Oxygen stimulated estrogen receptor expression in regenerating hearts in males, suggesting an interplay between the estrogen- and HIF1a-related mechanisms in heart regeneration. We show that vitellogenins were expressed in the liver and accumulated in damaged male hearts; but not in other wounds or in regenerating fins. Taken together, our data indicate that in zebrafish females are more efficient in mending broken hearts, and males are spontaneously feminised during heart regeneration. This unexpected phenomenon elucidates a previously unknown aspect of zebrafish tissue regeneration.
Speaker(s) Dr Yun Wah LAM
Location Seminar Room 1.81, School of Human Sciences, Anatomy Building
Contact Christine Page <[email protected]> : 6488 7126
Start Tue, 16 Oct 2018 13:00
End Tue, 16 Oct 2018 14:00
Submitted by Christine Page <[email protected]>
Last Updated Tue, 09 Oct 2018 09:36
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