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In Vitro Culture of Epicardial Cells From Mouse Embryonic Heart
Published on: April 27, 2016
PDGF-A as an epicardial mitogen during heart development.
1Institute for Genetic Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA.
Summary
Platelet-derived growth factor-A (PDGF-A) is expressed in the developing heart, but its signaling is not essential for cardiac development. Other growth factors may compensate for PDGF-A, suggesting redundant signaling pathways in heart morphogenesis.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Cardiology
Background:
- Reciprocal epicardium-myocardium interactions are crucial for heart development.
- The epicardium secretes factors influencing cardiomyocyte proliferation, but their identities are largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify epicardial secreted factors involved in heart development.
- To investigate the role of platelet-derived growth factor-A (PDGF-A) signaling in cardiac morphogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Identified PDGF-A expression in epicardial cells and embryonic/adult heart tissues.
- Generated mice with mutations in PDGF receptor genes (Pdgfra) in myocardial and mesodermal compartments.
- Assessed cardiac phenotype in mutant mice.
Main Results:
- PDGF-A was identified as a mitogen expressed by epicardial cells and in the developing and adult heart.
- Mutating PDGF receptor genes in the heart did not yield an observable cardiac phenotype.
- This suggests PDGF signaling is not essential, possibly due to redundant pathways.
Conclusions:
- PDGF-A is present in the developing heart but its signaling is not essential for cardiac development.
- Redundant signaling pathways involving other mitogens likely compensate for PDGF-A.
- Further research is needed to elucidate these overlapping roles in heart morphogenesis.
