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Updated: May 25, 2026
Live Imaging of Early Cardiac Progenitors in the Mouse Embryo
Published on: July 12, 2022
Ccbe1 expression marks the cardiac and lymphatic progenitor lineages during early stages of mouse development
João Facucho-Oliveira1, Margaret Bento, José-António Belo
1Regenerative Medicine Program, Departamento de Ciências Biomedicas e Medicina, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal.
Insights
Collagen and calcium-binding EGF-like domain 1 (Ccbe1) is crucial for heart development. This study maps Ccbe1 expression in early mouse embryos, revealing its role in cardiac progenitor cells and related embryonic structures.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Heart development involves distinct progenitor pools and signaling pathways.
- Understanding molecular control of heart organogenesis is key for treating heart diseases.
- Ccbe1 was identified as a gene expressed in chick heart/hemangioblast precursor cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically analyze the expression of Ccbe1 during early mouse embryonic development.
- To investigate the role of Ccbe1 in heart organogenesis and related embryonic structures.
Main Methods:
- Whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH)
- Immunohistochemistry
- Histological techniques
Main Results:
- Ccbe1 mRNA detected in early cardiac progenitors (E7.0) and cardiogenic mesoderm (E7.5-E8.0).
- Ccbe1 expressed in the pericardium and primitive heart tube (E8.25), then proepicardium.
- Ccbe1 and Prox1 proteins co-expressed in septum transversum and near anterior cardinal vein by E9.5.
Conclusions:
- Ccbe1 is expressed in the first heart field (FHF), second heart field (SHF), and proepicardium during heart organogenesis (E7.0-E8.75).
- Later Ccbe1 expression in septum transversum and near anterior cardinal vein suggests roles in hepatic and lymphatic development.
Abstract:
The mammalian heart is a complex organ composed of diverse components and various cell types. Heart organogenesis requires the contribution of distinct pools of heart progenitors positioned in separate embryonic regions and subject to particular developmental signals. Moreover, these embryonic heart lineages have different transcriptional profiles expressing specific genes which activate pathways involved in heart lineage specification. Understanding the molecular control of heart organogenesis has major implications for treating congenital and adult heart diseases since specific heart lineages have been associated with particular human cardiovascular malformations. Collagen and calcium-binding EGF-like domain 1 (Ccbe1) was identified in our laboratory using an Affymetrix GeneChip system approach to identify the transcriptome of chick heart/hemangioblast precursor cells. Here, we present a detailed and systematic analysis of the expression of Ccbe1 during early mouse development using whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH), immunohistochemistry and histological techniques. Ccbe1 mRNA was initially detected in the early cardiac progenitors of the two bilateral cardiogenic fields (E7.0) and in the cardiogenic mesoderm (E7.5 to E8.0). Ccbe1 mRNA was then persistently detected in the pericardium and transiently expressed in the myocardial tissue of the primitive heart tube (E8.25), being later expressed in the proepicardium. By E9.5, the Ccbe1 and Prox1 proteins were found to be expressed in common regions, including the septum transversum and in the proximity of the anterior cardinal vein. Here, it is shown that Ccbe1 is expressed in the FHF, SHF and proepicardium during heart organogenesis (E7.0 to E8.75). Later in development, Ccbe1 expression is localized in the septum transversum and in the vicinity of the anterior cardinal vein, embryonic structures related to hepatic and lymphatic development, respectively.
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