Abstract
BackgroundAlthough recent studies have highlighted the role of epicardial cells during cardiac development and regeneration, their cardiomyogenic potential is still controversial due to the question of lineage tracing of epicardial cells. The present study therefore aimed to examine the the expression of Tbx18 and Wt1 in embryonic heart and to identify whether Tbx18 and Wt1 themselves expressed in the cardiomyocyte.MethodsMouse embryonic hearts were collected at different stages for immunofluorescence costaining with either Tbx18 and the cardiac transcription factor Nkx2.5 or Wilms tumor 1 (Wt1) and Nkx2.5.ResultsTbx18 and Wt1, but not Nkx2.5, were expressed in the proepicardium and epicardium. Tbx18 was expressed in cells within the heart from E10.5 to at least E14.5; these Tbx18-expressing cells were Nkx2.5 positive, except for a few cells that were Nkx2.5 negative at E14.5. Wt1 was expressed in cells within the heart from E12.5 to at least E14.5, but these Wt1-expressing cells were Nkx2.5 negative.ConclusionThe data obtained in this study demonstrate that Tbx18 is expressed in the cardiomyocytes from E10.5 to at least E14.5, and Wt1 is expressed within the heart from E12.5 to at least E14.5, but not in the cardiomyocyte. These findings may provide new insights on the role of the epicardial cells in cardiac regeneration.
Highlights
Recent studies have highlighted the role of epicardial cells during cardiac development and regeneration, their cardiomyogenic potential is still controversial due to the question of lineage tracing of epicardial cells
We employed immunofluorescence staining to investigate the expression of Tbx18 and Wilms tumor 1 (Wt1) in heart using anti-Tbx18 and Wt1 antibodies and to identify whether Tbx18 and Wt1 themselves expressed in the cardiomyocyte
Wt1 expression was confined to the epicardium from E9.5 to E11.5 (Supplementary Figure 1 and Figure 2a-b), but Wt1 started to be expressed in some cells within the ventricular septum (VS), left ventricular wall, and right ventricular wall at E12.5 (Figure 2c)
Summary
Recent studies have highlighted the role of epicardial cells during cardiac development and regeneration, their cardiomyogenic potential is still controversial due to the question of lineage tracing of epicardial cells. The present study aimed to examine the the expression of Tbx and Wt1 in embryonic heart and to identify whether Tbx and Wt1 themselves expressed in the cardiomyocyte. The proepicardium is a source of undifferentiated progenitor cells that give rise to endothelial cells, fibroblast cells, and the smooth muscle cells that form the coronary vessels during development of the heart [1,2,3]. The epicardium is the outermost epithelial cell layer overlying the vertebrate heart and was considered historically to be a simple derivative of the proepicardium. We employed immunofluorescence staining to investigate the expression of Tbx and Wt1 in heart using anti-Tbx and Wt1 antibodies and to identify whether Tbx and Wt1 themselves expressed in the cardiomyocyte
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