Coordination of endothelial cell positioning and fate specification by the epicardium.

ABSTRACT: The organization of an integrated coronary vasculature requires the specification of immature endothelial cells (ECs) into arterial and venous fates based on their localization within the heart. It remains unclear how spatial information controls EC identity and behavior. Here we use single-cell RNA sequencing at key developmental timepoints to interrogate cellular contributions to coronary vessel patterning and maturation. We perform transcriptional profiling to define a heterogenous population of epicardium-derived cells (EPDCs) that express unique chemokine signatures. We identify a population of Slit2+ EPDCs that emerge following epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which we term vascular guidepost cells. We show that the expression of guidepost-derived chemokines such as Slit2

SUBMITTER: Quijada P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8260743 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature