Deletion of Akt1 causes heart defects and abnormal cardiomyocyte proliferation

The PI3K-PDK1-PKB/Akt (PI3K, phosphoinositide-3 kinase; PDK1, phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1; PKB, protein kinase B) signaling pathway plays a critical role in a variety of biological processes including cell survival, growth and proliferation, metabolism and organogenesis. Previously, we generated Akt1 -deficient mice and found high neonatal mortality with unknown causes. Here we report that histological analysis of Akt1 -deficient embryos and newborns revealed heart defects and decreased cell proliferation. Echocardiographic study of Akt1 -deficient mice indicated decreased heart function. Further investigation revealed that Akt1 deficiency caused substantial activation of p38MAPK in the heart. Breeding the Akt1 -deficient mice to mice that were heterozygous for a null p38α partially rescued the heart defects, significantly decreased post-natal mortality, and restored normal patterns of cardiomyocyte proliferation. Our study suggests that Akt1 is essential for heart development and function, in part, through suppression of p38MAPK activation.