Sonic Hedgehog signaling regulates the optimal differentiation pace from early-stage mesoderm to cardiogenic mesoderm in mice.

ABSTRACT: Sonic Hedgehog (Shh), encoding an extracellular signaling molecule, is vital for heart development. Shh null mutants show congenital heart disease due to left-right asymmetry defects stemming from functional anomaly in the midline structure in mice. Shh signaling is also known to affect cardiomyocyte differentiation, endocardium development, and heart morphogenesis, particularly in second heart field (SHF) cardiac progenitor cells that contribute to the right ventricle, outflow tract, and parts of the atrium. Despite extensive studies, our understanding remains incomplete. Notably, Shh signaling is suggested to promote cardiac differentiation, while paradoxically preventing premature differentiation of SHF progenitors. In this study, we elucidate the role of Shh signaling in the earliest p

SUBMITTER: Inoue S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11842887 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature