PRDM16, a new kid on the block in cardiovascular health and disease

Transcriptional regulation is essential for the development, homeostasis, and function of all organisms. Transcription factors and epigenetic modifiers play an indispensable role by direct or indirect interaction with DNA or chromatin. Although the role of transcription factor PRDM16 in adipose, haematopoietic, skeletal, and neural cell lineage specification is well-documented, its function within the cardiovascular system has only recently gained significant attention. Similar as in adipose tissue, PRDM16 displays an asymmetric expression pattern within the cardiovascular system, where it is exclusively expressed by ventricular cardiomyocytes and endothelial and smooth muscle cells of arteries while being absent in their atrial and venous counterparts. Concordantly, an increasing number of clinical and preclinical studies have identified PRDM16 as an important multi-modal regulator of cardiovascular development and function. Moreover, aberrant PRDM16 expression has now been linked to (cardio)vascular diseases, including left ventricular non-compaction, migraine, and coronary artery disease. In this review, we give a synopsis of PRDM16's expression and function within (developing) cardiovascular tissues and provide insights into how impaired PRDM16 signalling contributes to cardiovascular disease.