Lateral Atrial Expression Patterns Provide Insights into Local Transcription Disequilibrium Contributing to Disease Susceptibility

BACKGROUND: Transcriptional dysregulation, possibly affected by genetic variation, contributes to disease etiology. Due to dissimilarities in development, function, and remodeling during disease progression, transcriptional differences between the left atrium (LA) and right atrium (RA) may provide insight into diseases such as atrial fibrillation. 

METHODS: Lateral differences in atrial transcription were evaluated in CATCH ME (Characterizing Atrial fibrillation by Translating its Causes into Health Modifiers in the Elderly) using a 2-stage discovery and replication design. The design took advantage of the availability of 32 paired samples, for which both LA and RA tissue were obtained, as a discovery cohort, and 98 LA and 69 RA unpaired samples utilized as a replication cohort. 

RESULTS: A total of 714 transcripts were identified and replicated as differentially expressed (DE) between LA and RA, as well as 98 exons in 55 genes. Approximately 50% of DE transcripts were colocated with another frequently correlated DE transcript (P_FDR ≤0.05 for 579 regions). These "transcription disequilibrium"blocks contained examples including side-specific differential exon usage, such as the PITX2 locus, where ENPEP showed evidence of differential exon usage. Analysis of this region in conjunction with BMP10 identified rs9790621 as associated with ENPEP transcription in LA, while rs7687878 was associated with BMP10 expression in RA. In RA, BMP10 and ENPEP were strongly correlated in noncarriers, which was attenuated in risk-allele carriers, where BMP10 and PITX2 expression were strongly correlated. 

CONCLUSIONS: These results significantly expand knowledge of the intricate, tissue-specific transcriptional landscape in human atria, including DE transcripts and side-specific isoform expression. Furthermore, they suggest the existence of blocks of transcription disequilibrium influenced by genetics.