# Talin1 Function in Cardiac Myofibroblasts

> **NIH NIH F31** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $10,599

## Abstract

Project Summary
Heart failure (HF) affects an expanding proportion of the population, and currently affects over 5 million adults in
the United States alone. Due to chronic pressure overload of the left ventricle, tissue mechanics are permanently
changed as interstitial fibrosis and hypertrophy of the myocardium occurs. Despite the prevalence of HF, there
are no therapeutic strategies to reverse – or even reduce – cardiac fibrosis, aside from left ventricular assist
devices and heart transplant, due to the poorly understood mechanobiological response of resident cardiac cells.
During pressure overload induced HF, resident cardiac fibroblasts transition to activated myofibroblasts
(MyoFBs), switching to the more contractile and hyper-secretory phenotype. MyoFBs express Talin1 (Tln1), a
focal adhesion protein which activates integrins and undergoes force-induced mechanical unfolding, allowing for
MyoFB attachment and transmission of force to and from the extracellular matrix (ECM). Preliminary data
demonstrate that MyoFB Tln1 could be responsible for the adverse remodeling that occurs in HF, and deletion
of this protein in MyoFBs during HF may improve cardiac function and decrease fibrosis. Thus, the central
hypothesis of the current proposal is that MyoFB-specific deletion of Tln1 will reduce interstitial fibrosis, decrease
left ventricular hypertrophy, and preserve cardiac function in the context of HF. We will first determine the ability
of selective deletion of Tln1 from MyoFBs to reduce adverse remodeling of the surrounding myocardium in
response to pressure overload (Aim1). Upon establishing Tln1 as a regulator of MyoFB mechanobiology and
fibrosis, we will investigate the hypothesis that Tln1-mediated ECM deposition by MyoFBs contributes to altered
cardiomyocyte (CM) hypertrophy during HF (Aim2). To study these aims, a novel MyoFB-specific Tln1 knockout
mouse has been generated. Transverse aortic constriction (TAC) - an experimental model of pressure overload
induced HF - will be performed, and echocardiography will be used to measure hemodynamic function of the
mouse heart throughout the studies. Interstitial fibrosis and stiffness of the left ventricle will be characterized by
picrosirius red staining and atomic force microscopy, respectively. CM hypertrophy will be characterized using
wheat germ agglutinin staining. In vitro models will be employed to isolate the effects of ECM stiffness and ECM
fibril thickness. CM and Tln1-/- MyoFB responses to these different mechanical stimuli will be investigated using
traction force microscopy and micropipette aspiration. In summary, the results from this proposal will establish
MyoFB Tln1 as a regulator of MyoFB-mediated cardiac fibrosis and CM hypertrophy and will highlight a novel
therapeutic target for the treatment and management of HF.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10310438
- **Project number:** 5F31HL149168-03
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Natalie A Noll
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $10,599
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-12-01 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10310438

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10310438, Talin1 Function in Cardiac Myofibroblasts (5F31HL149168-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-02 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10310438. Licensed CC0.

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