INDUCTION OF MYOCARDIOGENESIS FROM MOUSE TERATOCARCINOMA

Cells of the isolated embryoid body line, SEBIlI, differentiate predominantly into pulsating cardiac muscle cells in vitro, after intraperitoneal passage before the cells are transferred into the culture medium. Quantitative analysis of myocardiogenesis in vitro revealed that the intraperitoneal passage induces myocardiogenesis in the embryoid bodies, while culturing in vitro after the passage is related to the occurrence of spontaneous pulsation which is the phenotypic expression of cardiac muscles. The possibility that this teratocarcinoma system offers a way of studying the control mechanism operating in normal embryonic myocardiogenesis is discussed.