Inhibition of Notch signaling rescues cardiovascular development in Kabuki Syndrome

Abstract

Kabuki Syndrome patients have a spectrum of congenital disorders, including congenital heart defects, the primary determinant of mortality. Seventy percent of Kabuki Syndrome patients have mutations in the histone methyl-transferase KMT2D. However, the underlying mechanisms that drive these congenital disorders are unknown. Here, we generated and characterized a zebrafish kmt2d null mutant that recapitulates the cardinal phenotypic features of Kabuki Syndrome, including microcephaly, palate defects, abnormal ear development and cardiac defects. The cardiovascular defects consist of abnormal aortic arches and hypoplastic ventricle, driven by previously unknown aberrant endocardial and endothelial vasculogenesis. We identify a regulatory link between the Notch pathway and Kmt2d during vasculogenesis and show that pharmacological inhibition of Notch signaling rescues the cardiovascular phenotype in zebrafish Kabuki Syndrome. Taken together these findings demonstrate that Kmt2d regulates vasculogenesis, provide evidence for interactions between Kmt2d and Notch signaling in Kabuki Syndrome, and suggest future directions for clinical research.