A growing heart is like a home under construction, with cardiomyocytes as the diligent builders. Scientists have long contemplated the blueprint guiding these builders in their tasks. A collaborative effort by Dr. Cheng-Fu Kao’s team from the Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, along with Drs. Yao-Ming Chang, Chien-Chang Chen, and Yu-Ting Yen from the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, has uncovered a key player in this process: a protein named RNF20. Working with a suite of advanced genomic analysis tools, the team traced how RNF20 precisely directs the maturation of cardiomyocytes. RNF20 acts like an architect holding the master blueprint of epigenetic regulation, subtly switching genes on and off without altering the DNA itself. This research not only confirms RNF20’s indispensable role as an epigenetic regulator in heart development but also opens new avenues for treating heart diseases. This study, published in Cell Reports, provide new perspectives for the advancement of heart health and treatment.

Article link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124723014286?via%3Dihub