HEPATOCYTE GROWTH-FACTOR AND ITS RECEPTOR ARE EXPRESSED IN CARDIAC MYOCYTES DURING EARLY CARDIOGENESIS

Citation
Da. Rappolee et al., HEPATOCYTE GROWTH-FACTOR AND ITS RECEPTOR ARE EXPRESSED IN CARDIAC MYOCYTES DURING EARLY CARDIOGENESIS, Circulation research, 78(6), 1996, pp. 1028-1036
Citations number
51
Categorie Soggetti
Hematology,"Cardiac & Cardiovascular System
Journal title
ISSN journal
00097330
Volume
78
Issue
6
Year of publication
1996
Pages
1028 - 1036
Database
ISI
SICI code
0009-7330(1996)78:6<1028:HGAIRA>2.0.ZU;2-Y
Abstract
In the mouse, the heart primordium arises when mesoderm is set aside d uring gastrulation, is induced by pharyngeal endoderm, migrates ventra lly to the midline of the embryo, forms a tube, and begins beating. Li ttle is known of the molecular mechanisms that mediate the determinati on, mitosis, differentiation, and migration that lead to the beating h eart. Transcripts for hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF) an d its receptor are coexpressed transiently and dynamically in the prem yocardium but not in other heart progenitor cells. Transcripts for HGF ligand and receptor are first detected before cardiac function and lo oping and persist through the first looping stage, when heart-morpholo gy begins to elaborate. HGF ligand and receptor mRNA are detectable af ter the putative heart transcription factor, Csx/Nkx2-5, and concomita ntly with the heart structural gene, cardiac actin. HGF receptor mRNA is detected in the mesoderm of the headfold stage and persists in myoc ardial precursors of the ventricles and atria (but not in the outflow tract smooth muscle cells) through the 14-somite stage at approximate to 8.75 days after fertilization (day E8.75). At the headfold stage, b etween E7.5 and E8.0, HGF receptor mRNA was detected in myocardial cel ls before fusion at the ventral midline. HGF ligand and receptor mRNA transcripts are coexpressed in the embryo, except in the headfold stag e (when only the HGF receptor can be detected) and in the heart at the 14- to 18-somite stage (when only HGF ligand can be detected). The dy namic pattern of coexpression suggests an autoregulatory role for HGF and its receptor in early heart development.