Collagen XII Contributes to Epicardial and Connective Tissues in the Zebrafish Heart during Ontogenesis and Regeneration.

ABSTRACT: Zebrafish heart regeneration depends on cardiac cell proliferation, epicardium activation and transient reparative tissue deposition. The contribution and the regulation of specific collagen types during the regenerative process, however, remain poorly characterized. Here, we identified that the non-fibrillar type XII collagen, which serves as a matrix-bridging component, is expressed in the epicardium of the zebrafish heart, and is boosted after cryoinjury-induced ventricular damage. During heart regeneration, an intense deposition of Collagen XII covers the outer epicardial cap and the interstitial reparative tissue. Analysis of the activated epicardium and fibroblast markers revealed a heterogeneous cellular origin of Collagen XII. Interestingly, this matrix-bridging collagen co-localiz

SUBMITTER: Marro J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5081208 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature