Endoderm and heart development

Since the first half of the 20th century, experimental embryologists have n oted a relationship between endoderm cells and the development of cardiac t issue from mesoderm, During the past decade, the accumulation of evidence f or an obligatory interaction between endoderm and mesoderm during the speci fication and terminal differentiation of myocardial, and more recently endo cardial, cells has markedly accelerated. Moreover, the endoderm-derived mol ecules that may regulate these processes are being identified. It now appea rs that endoderm derived growth factors regulate the formation of both myoc ardial and endocardial cells during specification, terminal differentiation , and perhaps morphogenesis of cells in the developing embryonic heart. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.