Early specification and morphogenesis of chamber-specific cardiomyocytes

A detailed understanding of embryonic heart development is needed to guide therapeutic approaches and shape our understanding of congenital heart diseases. I recently found that the cells forming the heart have distinct spatial and temporal origins in the primitive streak.

The ventricular progenitors are the first to leave the streak, followed by progenitors contributing to the atrium and outflow tract.

Moreover, I established that the streak cells contributing to the ventricles have a distinct molecular signature from those forming the atrium and outflow tract.

These findings suggest that the cells’ origin in the streak is key in specifying and patterning cardiomyocytes in addition to the signals cells receive during migration.

To address this question, I will use a live-imaging approach to establish if the primitive streak cells contributing to the cardiac crescent and heart tube are already locked into a myocardial fate. I will subsequently characterise the role of the signals cells receive during migration in specifying cardiomyocytes.

Finally, I will use in vitro approaches to further characterise the molecular mechanisms underlying cardiomyocytes diversification.

Our findings will help understand how initial differences between cells ultimately influence their cardiac identity which has profound implication for regenerative medicine.