Spontaneous calcium oscillations regulate human cardiac progenitor cell growth.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

The adult heart possesses a pool of progenitor cells stored in myocardial niches, but the mechanisms involved in the activation of this cell compartment are currently unknown.

Objective

Ca2+ promotes cell growth raising the possibility that changes in intracellular Ca2+ initiate division of c-kit-positive human cardiac progenitor cells (hCPCs) and determine their fate.

Methods and results

Ca2+ oscillations were identified in hCPCs and these events occurred independently from coupling with cardiomyocytes or the presence of extracellular Ca2+. These findings were confirmed in the heart of transgenic mice in which enhanced green fluorescent protein was under the control of the c-kit promoter. Ca2+ oscillations in hCPCs were regulated by the release of Ca2+ from

SUBMITTER: Ferreira-Martins J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2777616 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature