Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Suppression of Pro-fibrotic Signaling Potentiates Factor-mediated Reprogramming of Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts into Induced Cardiomyocytes
Published on: June 3, 2018
TGF-beta induces the differentiation of bone marrow stem cells into immature cardiomyocytes
Tao-Sheng Li1, Takahiro Komota, Mako Ohshima
1Department of Surgery and Clinical Science, Yamaguchi University, Graduate School of Medicine, Minami-Kogushi 1-1-1, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan.
Abstract:
Transforming growth factor-beta(1) (TGF-beta(1)) was found to induce the myogenic differentiation of bone marrow stem cells (BMSC). We investigated the morphological and electrophysiological properties of differentiated cells, and the mechanisms related to TGF-beta(1)-induced myogenic differentiation. We found that TGF-beta increased the expression of the cardiac transcription factors, GATA-4 and NKx-2.5, in BMSC after 1-3 days of cultivation. TGF-beta also induced the expressions of cardiac myosin, troponins, and ANP after 3-14 days of cultivation. However, the Ca(2+) transient was relatively weak, the connexin-43 expression was irregular, and spontaneous beating was not detected within 28 days observation. TGF-beta stimulation up-regulated most of the TGF-beta BMP signaling pathway genes, including TGFBI, ACVR2B, and phosphorylated Smad-2 and Smad-3, within 24h. TGF-beta induced the differentiation of BMSC into immature cardiomyocytes by activating the TGF-beta BMP signaling pathway.
Related Concept Videos
TGF - β Signaling Pathway
Forced Transdifferentiation
Artificial transdifferentiation occurs...

