Dchs2-KO Mouse

Dchs2, also known as dachsous cadherin-related 2, belongs to the cadherin family. It is involved in multiple biological processes such as cell adhesion and polarity maintenance [2]. It plays a role in several signaling pathways including calcineurin and Hippo/Yap1 signaling, which are crucial for the regulation of physiological and pathological cardiac growth [1].

In zebrafish, cardiomyocyte DCHS2 overexpression induced pathological hypertrophy and impaired cardiac regeneration, promoting scarring after injury. In contrast, in Cas9-knockin mice, cardiac-specific deletion of Dchs2 induced physiological hypertrophy and promoted cardiomyogenesis, indicating its significance in regulating cardiac growth [1]. In mice, Dchs2 -/- mutants showed anterior pituitary hypoplasia and partially penetrant infundibular defects, suggesting its role in hypothalamic-pituitary development [3].

In conclusion, Dchs2 is essential in regulating cardiac growth and hypothalamic-pituitary development. The use of gene knockout models in zebrafish and mice has provided valuable insights into its role in these biological processes, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target for cardiac diseases and understanding pituitary gland developmental defects [1,3].