Francisco Naya | Profiles RNS

Francisco J. Naya

Associate Professor

Boston University Arts & Sciences

Biology

PhD, Baylor College of Medicine
BA, Boston University

Websites

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	ResearchGate

ORCID : 0000-0001-5643-2345

Our lab focuses on gene regulatory networks in muscle development and disease. Defining these networks in differentiation and homeostasis can yield insight into the molecular mechanisms that drive pathological gene expression in cardiac and skeletal muscle diseases. Our lab has addressed this problem using a systems-level approach to dissect the intricate gene regulatory function of the mammalian MEF2 transcription factors, an evolutionarily conserved transcription factor family and core regulator of muscle gene programs. Detailed investigation of MEF2-dependent gene programs led to the identification of an imprinted noncoding RNA locus (Dlk1-Dio3). This locus encodes numerous long (lncRNAs) and small (miRNAs, snoRNAs) noncoding RNAs which are involved in skeletal muscle differentiation and regeneration, and in cardiomyocyte proliferation. We have also shown that expression of the Dlk1-Dio3 noncoding RNA locus is dysregulated in cardiac and skeletal myopathies. Understanding how this transcription factor-noncoding RNA regulatory network functions in muscle may ultimately lead to the development of novel treatments for cardiac and skeletal myopathies.

Director of Graduate Studies
Boston University Arts & Sciences
Biology
Cell and Molecular Biology Program

Member
Boston University Arts & Sciences
Genome Science Institute

BU Research
NIH RePORTER Research

Utility of the DyW mouse model biology for proof of concept studies in the development of a bispecific antibody for DMD
07/01/2020 - 06/30/2023 (PI)
Pfizer, Inc.

MEF2 Function in Cardiac Muscle Development
07/20/2009 - 06/30/2016 (PI)
NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
5R01HL073304-09

Characterizing the function of long noncoding RNA Gtl2-Dio3 in cardiac muscle cells
05/14/2015 - 08/31/2015 (PI)
American Heart Association - Founders Affiliate

Molecular Characterization of the BMP2-MEF2A regulatory circuit in cardiac myocyte structural integrity
05/14/2014 - 08/31/2014 (PI)
American Heart Association - Founders Affiliate

Functional Characterization of a Novel Co-Regulator for MEF2-Dependent Transcription in Cardiac Muscle
06/01/2013 - 08/31/2013 (PI)
American Heart Association

Title

Yr	Title	Project-Sub Proj	Pubs
2013	MEF2 Function in Cardiac Muscle Development	5R01HL073304-09	15
2012	MEF2 Function in Cardiac Muscle Development	5R01HL073304-08	15
2011	MEF2 Function in Cardiac Muscle Development	5R01HL073304-07	15
2010	MEF2 Function in Cardiac Muscle Development	3R01HL073304-06S1	15
2010	MEF2 Function in Cardiac Muscle Development	5R01HL073304-06	15
2009	MEF2 Function in Cardiac Muscle Development	2R01HL073304-05A2	15
2006	MEF2 Function in Cardiac Muscle Development	5R01HL073304-04	15
2005	MEF2 Function in Cardiac Muscle Development	5R01HL073304-03	15
2004	MEF2 Function in Cardiac Muscle Development	5R01HL073304-02	15
2003	MEF2 Function in Cardiac Muscle Development	1R01HL073304-01A1	15

Showing 10 of 11 results. Show All Results

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

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Lu F, Liou C, Ma Q, Wu Z, Xue B, Xia Y, Xia S, Trembley MA, Ponek A, Xie W, Shani K, Bortolin RH, Prondzynski M, Berkson P, Zhang X, Naya FJ, Bedi KC, Margulies KB, Zhang D, Parker KK, Pu WT. Virally delivered CMYA5 enhances the assembly of cardiac dyads. Nat Biomed Eng. 2024 Sep 05. PMID: 39237710

Lu F, Ma Q, Xie W, Liou CL, Zhang D, Sweat ME, Jardin BD, Naya FJ, Guo Y, Cheng H, Pu WT. CMYA5 establishes cardiac dyad architecture and positioning. Nat Commun. 2022 Apr 21; 13(1):2185. PMID: 35449169; PMCID: PMC9023524; DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29902-4;

Pinheiro A, Naya FJ. The Key Lnc (RNA)s in Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle Development, Regeneration, and Disease. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis. 2021 Jul 25; 8(8). PMID: 34436226; PMCID: PMC8397000; DOI: 10.3390/jcdd8080084;

Dill TL, Carroll A, Pinheiro A, Gao J, Naya FJ. The long noncoding RNA Meg3 regulates myoblast plasticity and muscle regeneration through epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Development. 2021 Jan 15; 148(2). PMID: 33298462

Guo H, Lu YW, Lin Z, Huang ZP, Liu J, Wang Y, Seok HY, Hu X, Ma Q, Li K, Kyselovic J, Wang Q, Lin JL, Lin JJ, Cowan DB, Naya F, Chen Y, Pu WT, Wang DZ. Intercalated disc protein Xinß is required for Hippo-YAP signaling in the heart. Nat Commun. 2020 Sep 16; 11(1):4666. PMID: 32938943; PMCID: PMC7494909; DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18379-8;

Lee TY, Cho IS, Bashyal N, Naya FJ, Tsai MJ, Yoon JS, Choi JM, Park CH, Kim SS, Suh-Kim H. ERK Regulates NeuroD1-mediated Neurite Outgrowth via Proteasomal Degradation. Exp Neurobiol. 2020 Jun 30; 29(3):189-206. PMID: 32606250; PMCID: PMC7344372; DOI: 10.5607/en20021;

Hsiung A, Naya FJ, Chen X, Shiang R. A schizophrenia associated CMYA5 allele displays differential binding with desmin. J Psychiatr Res. 2019 Apr; 111:8-15. PMID: 30658136

Farrell E, Armstrong AE, Grimes AC, Naya FJ, de Lange WJ, Ralphe JC. Transcriptome Analysis of Cardiac Hypertrophic Growth in MYBPC3-Null Mice Suggests Early Responders in Hypertrophic Remodeling. Front Physiol. 2018; 9:1442. PMID: 30410445

Dill TL, Naya FJ. A Hearty Dose of Noncoding RNAs: The Imprinted DLK1-DIO3 Locus in Cardiac Development and Disease. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis. 2018 Jul 10; 5(3). PMID: 29996488

Medrano JL, Naya FJ. The transcription factor MEF2A fine-tunes gene expression in the atrial and ventricular chambers of the adult heart. J Biol Chem. 2017 Dec 22; 292(51):20975-20988. PMID: 29054930

Showing 10 of 49 results. Show More

Desjardins CA, Naya FJ. Antagonistic regulation of cell-cycle and differentiation gene programs in neonatal cardiomyocytes by homologous MEF2 transcription factors. J Biol Chem. 2017 Jun 23; 292(25):10613-10629. PMID: 28473466

Naya FJ, Wang DZ. (MYO)SLIDing Our Way Into the Vascular Pool of Long Noncoding RNAs. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2016 Oct; 36(10):2033-4. PMID: 27655778

Desjardins CA, Naya FJ. The Function of the MEF2 Family of Transcription Factors in Cardiac Development, Cardiogenomics, and Direct Reprogramming. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis. 2016 Sep; 3(3). PMID: 27630998

Clark AL, Maruyama S, Sano S, Accorsi A, Girgenrath M, Walsh K, Naya FJ. miR-410 and miR-495 Are Dynamically Regulated in Diverse Cardiomyopathies and Their Inhibition Attenuates Pathological Hypertrophy. PLoS One. 2016; 11(3):e0151515.View Related Profiles.

Naya, Francisco
Walsh, Kenneth
Maruyama, Sonomi

PMID: 26999812; PMCID: PMC4801331; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151515;

Estrella NL, Clark AL, Desjardins CA, Nocco SE, Naya FJ. MEF2D deficiency in neonatal cardiomyocytes triggers cell cycle re-entry and programmed cell death in vitro. J Biol Chem. 2015 Oct 02; 290(40):24367-80. PMID: 26294766

Clark AL, Naya FJ. MicroRNAs in the Myocyte Enhancer Factor 2 (MEF2)-regulated Gtl2-Dio3 Noncoding RNA Locus Promote Cardiomyocyte Proliferation by Targeting the Transcriptional Coactivator Cited2. J Biol Chem. 2015 Sep 18; 290(38):23162-72. PMID: 26240138

Feng Y, Desjardins CA, Cooper O, Kontor A, Nocco SE, Naya FJ. Correction: EGR1 functions as a potent repressor of MEF2 transcriptional activity. PLoS One. 2015; 10(6):e0131619. PMID: 26107934

Feng Y, Desjardins CA, Cooper O, Kontor A, Nocco SE, Naya FJ. EGR1 Functions as a Potent Repressor of MEF2 Transcriptional Activity. PLoS One. 2015; 10(5):e0127641. PMID: 26011708

Estrella NL, Desjardins CA, Nocco SE, Clark AL, Maksimenko Y, Naya FJ. MEF2 transcription factors regulate distinct gene programs in mammalian skeletal muscle differentiation. J Biol Chem. 2015 Jan 09; 290(2):1256-68.View Related Profiles.

Naya, Francisco
Maksimenko, Yevgeniy

PMID: 25416778; PMCID: PMC4294490; DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M114.589838;

Estrella NL, Naya FJ. Transcriptional networks regulating the costamere, sarcomere, and other cytoskeletal structures in striated muscle. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2014 May; 71(9):1641-56. PMID: 24218011

Snyder CM, Rice AL, Estrella NL, Held A, Kandarian SC, Naya FJ. MEF2A regulates the Gtl2-Dio3 microRNA mega-cluster to modulate WNT signaling in skeletal muscle regeneration. Development. 2013 Jan 01; 140(1):31-42. PMID: 23154418

Ewen EP, Snyder CM, Wilson M, Desjardins D, Naya FJ. The Mef2A transcription factor coordinately regulates a costamere gene program in cardiac muscle. J Biol Chem. 2011 Aug 26; 286(34):29644-53. PMID: 21724844

Kielbasa OM, Reynolds JG, Wu CL, Snyder CM, Cho MY, Weiler H, Kandarian S, Naya FJ. Myospryn is a calcineurin-interacting protein that negatively modulates slow-fiber-type transformation and skeletal muscle regeneration. FASEB J. 2011 Jul; 25(7):2276-86.View Related Profiles.

Wu, Chia-Ling
Naya, Francisco

PMID: 21427212; PMCID: PMC3114531; DOI: 10.1096/fj.10-169219;

Konno T, Chen D, Wang L, Wakimoto H, Teekakirikul P, Nayor M, Kawana M, Eminaga S, Gorham JM, Pandya K, Smithies O, Naya FJ, Olson EN, Seidman JG, Seidman CE. Heterogeneous myocyte enhancer factor-2 (Mef2) activation in myocytes predicts focal scarring in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Oct 19; 107(42):18097-102.View Related Profiles.

Naya, Francisco
Nayor, Matthew

PMID: 20923879; PMCID: PMC2964244; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1012826107;

McCalmon SA, Desjardins DM, Ahmad S, Davidoff KS, Snyder CM, Sato K, Ohashi K, Kielbasa OM, Mathew M, Ewen EP, Walsh K, Gavras H, Naya FJ. Modulation of angiotensin II-mediated cardiac remodeling by the MEF2A target gene Xirp2. Circ Res. 2010 Mar 19; 106(5):952-60.View Related Profiles.

Naya, Francisco
Gavras, Haralambos
Ohashi, Koji

PMID: 20093629; PMCID: PMC2858324; DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.109.209007;

Otten J, van der Ven PF, Vakeel P, Eulitz S, Kirfel G, Brandau O, Boesl M, Schrickel JW, Linhart M, Hayess K, Naya FJ, Milting H, Meyer R, Fürst DO. Complete loss of murine Xin results in a mild cardiac phenotype with altered distribution of intercalated discs. Cardiovasc Res. 2010 Mar 01; 85(4):739-50. PMID: 19843512

Reynolds JG, McCalmon SA, Donaghey JA, Naya FJ. Deregulated protein kinase A signaling and myospryn expression in muscular dystrophy. J Biol Chem. 2008 Mar 28; 283(13):8070-4. PMID: 18252718

Reynolds JG, McCalmon SA, Tomczyk T, Naya FJ. Identification and mapping of protein kinase A binding sites in the costameric protein myospryn. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2007 Jun; 1773(6):891-902. PMID: 17499862

Parsons SA, Millay DP, Sargent MA, Naya FJ, McNally EM, Sweeney HL, Molkentin JD. Genetic disruption of calcineurin improves skeletal muscle pathology and cardiac disease in a mouse model of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. J Biol Chem. 2007 Mar 30; 282(13):10068-10078. PMID: 17289669

Huang HT, Brand OM, Mathew M, Ignatiou C, Ewen EP, McCalmon SA, Naya FJ. Myomaxin is a novel transcriptional target of MEF2A that encodes a Xin-related alpha-actinin-interacting protein. J Biol Chem. 2006 Dec 22; 281(51):39370-9. PMID: 17046827

Durham JT, Brand OM, Arnold M, Reynolds JG, Muthukumar L, Weiler H, Richardson JA, Naya FJ. Myospryn is a direct transcriptional target for MEF2A that encodes a striated muscle, alpha-actinin-interacting, costamere-localized protein. J Biol Chem. 2006 Mar 10; 281(10):6841-9. PMID: 16407236

Talmadge RJ, Otis JS, Rittler MR, Garcia ND, Spencer SR, Lees SJ, Naya FJ. Calcineurin activation influences muscle phenotype in a muscle-specific fashion. BMC Cell Biol. 2004 Jul 28; 5:28. PMID: 15282035

Naya FJ, Black BL, Wu H, Bassel-Duby R, Richardson JA, Hill JA, Olson EN. Mitochondrial deficiency and cardiac sudden death in mice lacking the MEF2A transcription factor. Nat Med. 2002 Nov; 8(11):1303-9. PMID: 12379849

Wu H, Rothermel B, Kanatous S, Rosenberg P, Naya FJ, Shelton JM, Hutcheson KA, DiMaio JM, Olson EN, Bassel-Duby R, Williams RS. Activation of MEF2 by muscle activity is mediated through a calcineurin-dependent pathway. EMBO J. 2001 Nov 15; 20(22):6414-23. PMID: 11707412

Schwab MH, Bartholomae A, Heimrich B, Feldmeyer D, Druffel-Augustin S, Goebbels S, Naya FJ, Zhao S, Frotscher M, Tsai MJ, Nave KA. Neuronal basic helix-loop-helix proteins (NEX and BETA2/Neuro D) regulate terminal granule cell differentiation in the hippocampus. J Neurosci. 2000 May 15; 20(10):3714-24. PMID: 10804213

Wu H, Naya FJ, McKinsey TA, Mercer B, Shelton JM, Chin ER, Simard AR, Michel RN, Bassel-Duby R, Olson EN, Williams RS. MEF2 responds to multiple calcium-regulated signals in the control of skeletal muscle fiber type. EMBO J. 2000 May 02; 19(9):1963-73. PMID: 10790363

Passier R, Zeng H, Frey N, Naya FJ, Nicol RL, McKinsey TA, Overbeek P, Richardson JA, Grant SR, Olson EN. CaM kinase signaling induces cardiac hypertrophy and activates the MEF2 transcription factor in vivo. J Clin Invest. 2000 May; 105(10):1395-406. PMID: 10811847

Naya FJ, Mercer B, Shelton J, Richardson JA, Williams RS, Olson EN. Stimulation of slow skeletal muscle fiber gene expression by calcineurin in vivo. J Biol Chem. 2000 Feb 18; 275(7):4545-8. PMID: 10671477

Liu M, Pleasure SJ, Collins AE, Noebels JL, Naya FJ, Tsai MJ, Lowenstein DH. Loss of BETA2/NeuroD leads to malformation of the dentate gyrus and epilepsy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Jan 18; 97(2):865-70. PMID: 10639171

Naya FJ, Olson E. MEF2: a transcriptional target for signaling pathways controlling skeletal muscle growth and differentiation. Curr Opin Cell Biol. 1999 Dec; 11(6):683-8. PMID: 10600704

Musarò A, McCullagh KJ, Naya FJ, Olson EN, Rosenthal N. IGF-1 induces skeletal myocyte hypertrophy through calcineurin in association with GATA-2 and NF-ATc1. Nature. 1999 Aug 05; 400(6744):581-5. PMID: 10448862

Naya FJ, Wu C, Richardson JA, Overbeek P, Olson EN. Transcriptional activity of MEF2 during mouse embryogenesis monitored with a MEF2-dependent transgene. Development. 1999 May; 126(10):2045-52. PMID: 10207130

Mutoh H, Naya FJ, Tsai MJ, Leiter AB. The basic helix-loop-helix protein BETA2 interacts with p300 to coordinate differentiation of secretin-expressing enteroendocrine cells. Genes Dev. 1998 Mar 15; 12(6):820-30. PMID: 9512516

Naya FJ, Huang HP, Qiu Y, Mutoh H, DeMayo FJ, Leiter AB, Tsai MJ. Diabetes, defective pancreatic morphogenesis, and abnormal enteroendocrine differentiation in BETA2/neuroD-deficient mice. Genes Dev. 1997 Sep 15; 11(18):2323-34. PMID: 9308961

Owerbach D, Naya FJ, Tsai MJ, Allander SV, Powell DR, Gabbay KH. Analysis of candidate genes for susceptibility to type I diabetes: a case-control and family-association study of genes on chromosome 2q31-35. Diabetes. 1997 Jun; 46(6):1069-74. PMID: 9166681

Mutoh H, Fung BP, Naya FJ, Tsai MJ, Nishitani J, Leiter AB. The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor BETA2/NeuroD is expressed in mammalian enteroendocrine cells and activates secretin gene expression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 Apr 15; 94(8):3560-4. PMID: 9108015

Peyton M, Stellrecht CM, Naya FJ, Huang HP, Samora PJ, Tsai MJ. BETA3, a novel helix-loop-helix protein, can act as a negative regulator of BETA2 and MyoD-responsive genes. Mol Cell Biol. 1996 Feb; 16(2):626-33. PMID: 8552091

Naya FJ, Stellrecht CM, Tsai MJ. Tissue-specific regulation of the insulin gene by a novel basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor. Genes Dev. 1995 Apr 15; 9(8):1009-19. PMID: 7774807

Dobi ET, Naya FJ, Hausman RE. Distribution of R-cognin and choline acetyltransferase in the ganglion cell layer of developing chick neural retina. Cell Differ. 1988 Jan; 22(2):115-23. PMID: 3342449

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 49 publications over 28 distinct years, with a maximum of 5 publications in 2000