Liu Benrong, Ou Wen-Chao, Fang Lei, Tian Chao-Wei, Xiong Yujuan
1Department of Cardiology, Guangzhou Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Vascular Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
2General Practice, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Aging Dis. 2023 Apr 1;14(2):331-349. doi: 10.14336/AD.2022.0825.
Cell regulatory networks are the determinants of cellular homeostasis. Any alteration to these networks results in the disturbance of cellular homeostasis and induces cells towards different fates. Myocyte enhancer factor 2A (MEF2A) is one of four members of the MEF2 family of transcription factors (MEF2A-D). MEF2A is highly expressed in all tissues and is involved in many cell regulatory networks including growth, differentiation, survival and death. It is also necessary for heart development, myogenesis, neuronal development and differentiation. In addition, many other important functions of MEF2A have been reported. Recent studies have shown that MEF2A can regulate different, and sometimes even mutually exclusive cellular events. How MEF2A regulates opposing cellular life processes is an interesting topic and worthy of further exploration. Here, we reviewed almost all MEF2A research papers published in English and summarized them into three main sections: 1) the association of genetic variants in MEF2A with cardiovascular disease, 2) the physiopathological functions of MEF2A, and 3) the regulation of MEF2A activity and its regulatory targets. In summary, multiple regulatory patterns for MEF2A activity and a variety of co-factors cause its transcriptional activity to switch to different target genes, thereby regulating opposing cell life processes. The association of MEF2A with numerous signaling molecules establishes a central role for MEF2A in the regulatory network of cellular physiopathology.
细胞调节网络是细胞稳态的决定因素。这些网络的任何改变都会导致细胞稳态的紊乱，并诱导细胞走向不同的命运。肌细胞增强因子2A（MEF2A）是转录因子MEF2家族（MEF2A - D）的四个成员之一。MEF2A在所有组织中均高表达，并参与许多细胞调节网络，包括生长、分化、存活和死亡。它对于心脏发育、肌发生、神经元发育和分化也是必需的。此外，还报道了MEF2A的许多其他重要功能。最近的研究表明，MEF2A可以调节不同的，有时甚至是相互排斥的细胞事件。MEF2A如何调节相反的细胞生命过程是一个有趣的话题，值得进一步探索。在这里，我们回顾了几乎所有以英文发表的MEF2A研究论文，并将它们总结为三个主要部分：1）MEF2A基因变异与心血管疾病的关联，2）MEF2A的生理病理功能，以及3）MEF2A活性的调节及其调控靶点。总之，MEF2A活性的多种调节模式和多种辅助因子导致其转录活性切换到不同的靶基因，从而调节相反的细胞生命过程。MEF2A与众多信号分子的关联在细胞生理病理调节网络中确立了MEF2A的核心作用。
