Bmp signaling exerts opposite effects on cardiac differentiation.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

The importance for Bmp signaling during embryonic stem cell differentiation into myocardial cells has been recognized. The question when and where Bmp signaling in vivo regulates myocardial differentiation has remained largely unanswered.

Objective

To identify when and where Bmp signaling regulates cardiogenic differentiation.

Methods and results

Here we have observed that in zebrafish embryos, Bmp signaling is active in cardiac progenitor cells prior to their differentiation into cardiomyocytes. Bmp signaling is continuously required during somitogenesis within the anterior lateral plate mesoderm to induce myocardial differentiation. Surprisingly, Bmp signaling is actively repressed in differentiating myocardial cells. We identified the inhibitory Smad6a, w

SUBMITTER: de Pater E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4924880 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature