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Embryonic cardiomyocyte expression of endothelial genes
Author(s) -
Welikson Robert E.,
Kaestner Stefanie,
Evans Angela M.,
Hauschka Stephen D.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
developmental dynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.634
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1097-0177
pISSN - 1058-8388
DOI - 10.1002/dvdy.21276
Subject(s) - biology , embryonic stem cell , transdifferentiation , microbiology and biotechnology , mesoderm , phenotype , endothelial stem cell , myosin , vasculogenesis , stem cell , gene , progenitor cell , genetics , in vitro
Vertebrate precardiac mesoderm contains cells destined to become cardiomyocyte or endothelial cells. To determine the stability of these phenotypes freshly isolated embryonic day (E) 2.5–E6 chicken hearts were immunostained for myosin heavy chain (MyHC) to identify cardiomyocytes, and von Willebrand factor (vWF) and Flk‐1 to identify endothelial cells. At E2.5–E3, 90% of cells express only MyHC and 6% express only vWF/Flk‐1. However, 2% MyHC + cells in E2.5–E3 hearts and 0.3% in E4–E6 hearts, also express vWF/Flk‐1; and when cultured 3 days, >40% of the MyHC + cells express vWF/Flk‐1, but they do not express Vezf1, vascular endothelial cadherin, or Tie2. Thus, only a subset of endothelial genes are induced in cultured cardiomyocytes. While the subsequent developmental fate of embryonic heart cells exhibiting a vWF + /MyHC + phenotype is unknown, analysis of this phenotype may provide information pertinent to mechanisms of cell phenotype stability, cellular transdifferentiation, and induction of stable cell types from embryonic stem cells. Developmental Dynamics 236:2512–2522, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.