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Updated: May 23, 2026

Epigenetic Regulation of Cardiac Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells and Tissues
Published on: June 3, 2016
Localized and temporal gene regulation in heart development
Phil Barnett1, Malou van den Boogaard, Vincent Christoffels
1Department of Anatomy, Embryology and Physiology, Heart Failure Research Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
The heart is a structurally complex and functionally heterogeneous organ. The repertoire of genes active in a given cardiac cell defines its shapes and function. This process of localized or heterogeneous gene expression is regulated to a large extent at the level of transcription, dictating the degree particular genes in a cell are active. Therefore, errors in the regulation of localized gene expression are at the basis of misregulation of the delicate process of heart development and function. In this review, we provide an overview of the origin of the different components of the vertebrate heart, and discuss our current understanding of the regulation of localized gene expression in the developing heart. We will also discuss where future research may lead to gain more insight into this process, which should provide much needed insight into the dysregulation of heart development and function, and the etiology of congenital defects.
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