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Human epicardial organoids from pluripotent stem cells resemble fetal stage with potential cardiomyocyte-transdifferentiation

ABSTRACT: Epicardium, the most outer mesothelium, exerts crucial functions in fetal heart development and adult heart regeneration. Here we use a three-step manipulation of WNT signalling entwined with BMP and RA signalling for generating a self-organized epicardial organoid that highly express with epicardium makers WT1 and TCF21 from human embryonic stem cells. After 8-days treatment of TGF-beta following by bFGF, cells enter into epithelium-mesenchymal transition and give rise to smooth muscle cells. Epicardium could also integrate and invade into mouse heart with SNAI1 expression, and give birth to numerous cardiomyocyte-like cells. Single-cell RNA seq unveils the heterogeneity and multipotency exhibited by epicardium-derived-cells and fetal-like epicardium. Meanwhile, extracellular matrix and growth factors secreted by epicardial organoid mimics the ecology of subepicardial space between the epicardium and cardiomyocytes. As such, this epicardial organoid offers a unique ground for investigating and exploring the potential of epicardium in heart development and regeneration

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE317739 | GEO | 2026/02/03

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Single-cell transcriptional analysis of human pluripotent stem cell-derived heart epicardium-myocardium organoids uncover principals of human epicardial-derived cells specification and coronary vascular plexus development

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2026-01-26 | GSE309829 | GEO

A single-cell comparison of adult and foetal human epicardium defines the age-associated changes in epicardial activity

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Genome-wide analysis of epicardial gene expression in E11.5 mouse hearts

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2022-10-31 | GSE216177 | GEO

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Genome-wide analysis of epicardial gene expression in E11.5 mouse hearts

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Hypoxia-activated scleraxis a mediates epicardial progenitor differentiation into a unique cardiac perivascular cell type

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2025-12-18 | GSE299367 | GEO

Single epicardial cell transcriptome sequencing identifies Caveolin-1 as an essential factor in zebrafish heart regeneration

Project description:By contrast with mammals, adult zebrafish have a high capacity to regenerate damaged or lost myocardium through proliferation of spared cardiomyocytes. The epicardial sheet covering the heart is activated by injury and aids muscle regeneration through paracrine effects and as a multipotent cell source, and has received recent attention as a target in cardiac repair strategies. While it is recognized that epicardium is required for muscle regeneration and itself has high regenerative potential, the extent of cellular heterogeneity within epicardial tissue is largely unexplored. In this study, we performed transcriptome analysis on dozens of epicardial lineage cells purified from zebrafish harboring a transgenic reporter for the pan-epicardial gene tcf21. Hierarchical clustering analysis suggested the presence of at least three epicardial cell subsets defined by expression signatures. We validated many new pan-epicardial and epicardial markers by alternative expression assays. Additionally, we explored the function of the scaffolding protein and main component of caveolae, caveolin-1 (cav1), which was present in each epicardial subset. In BAC transgenic zebrafish, cav1 regulatory sequences drove strong expression in ostensibly all epicardial cells and in coronary vascular endothelial cells. Moreover, cav1 mutant zebrafish generated by genome editing showed grossly normal heart development and adult cardiac anatomy, but displayed profound defects in injury-induced cardiomyocyte proliferation and heart regeneration. Our study defines a new platform for the discovery of epicardial lineage markers, genetic tools, and mechanisms of heart regeneration. Deep sequencing of isolated single epicardial cells

2015-12-15 | E-GEOD-75583 | biostudies-arrayexpress

Distinct epicardial gene regulatory programmes drive development and regeneration of the zebrafish heart

Project description:Unlike the adult mammalian heart, which has limited regenerative capacity, the zebrafish heart can fully regenerate following injury. Reactivation of cardiac developmental programmes is considered key to successfully regenerating the heart, yet the regulatory elements underlying the response triggered upon injury and during development remain elusive. Organ-wide activation of the epicardium is essential for zebrafish heart regeneration and is considered a potential regenerative source to target in the mammalian heart. Here we compared the transcriptome and epigenome of the developing and regenerating zebrafish epicardium by integrating gene expression profiles with open chromatin ATAC-seq data. We identified epicardial enhancer elements with specific activity during development or during adult heart regeneration. By generating gene regulatory networks associated with epicardial development and regeneration, we inferred genetic programmes driving each of these processes, which were largely distinct. We identified Wt1a, Wt1b, and the AP-1 subunits Junbb, Fosab and Fosb as central regulators of the developing network, whereas Hif1ab, Nrf1, Tbx2b and Zbtb7a featured as putative central regulators of the regenerating epicardial network. Targeting hif1ab, nrf1, tbx2b and zbtb7a using CRISPR/Cas9 in injured hearts resulted in elevated epicardial cell numbers infiltrating the wound and excess fibrosis after cryoinjury, illustrating the functional importance of these regulatory factors during zebrafish heart regeneration. Our work reveals striking differences between the regulatory blueprint deployed during epicardial development and regeneration. These findings underline that heart regeneration goes beyond the reactivation of developmental programmes and provide important insights into epicardial regulation.

2023-12-01 | GSE178751 | GEO

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