The integrative biology of the heart: mechanisms enabling cardiac plasticity

Cardiac phenotypic plasticity, the remodelling of heart structure and function, is a response to any sustained (or repeated) stimulus or stressor that results in a change in heart performance. Cardiac plasticity can be either adaptive (beneficial) or maladaptive (pathological), depending on the nature and intensity of the stimulus. Here, we draw on articles published in this Special Issue of Journal of Experimental Biology, and from the broader comparative physiology literature, to highlight the core components that enable cardiac plasticity, including structural remodelling, excitation-contraction coupling remodelling and metabolic rewiring. We discuss when and how these changes occur, with a focus on the underlying molecular mechanisms, from the regulation of gene transcription by epigenetic processes to post-translational modifications of cardiac proteins. Looking to the future, we anticipate that the growing use of -omics technologies in integration with traditional comparative physiology approaches will allow researchers to continue to uncover the vast scope for plasticity in cardiac function across animals.