Platelet-derived growth factors in the developing avian heart and maturating coronary vasculature.
Platelet-derived growth factors (PDGFs) are important in embryonic development. To elucidate their role in avian heart and coronary development, we investigated protein expression patterns of PDGF-A, PDGF-B, and the receptors PDGFR-alpha and PDGFR-beta using immunohistochemistry on sections of pro-epicardial quail-chicken chimeras of Hamburger and Hamilton (HH) 28-HH35. PDGF-A and PDGFR-alpha were expressed in the atrial septum, sinus venosus, and throughout the myocardium, with PDGFR-alpha retreating to the trabeculae at later stages. Additionally, PDGF-A and PDGFR-alpha were present in outflow tract cushion mesenchyme and myocardium, respectively. Small cardiac nerves and (sub)epicardial cells expressed PDGF-B and PDGFR-beta. Furthermore, endothelial cells expressed PDGF-B, while vascular smooth muscle cells and interstitial epicardium-derived cells expressed PDGFR-beta, indicating a role in coronary maturation. PDGF-B is also present in ventricular septal development, in the absence of any PDGFR. Epicardium-derived cells in the atrioventricular cushions expressed PDGFR-beta. We conclude that all four proteins are involved in myocardial development, whereas PDGF-B and PDGFR-beta are specifically important in coronary maturation.
Van Den Akker
Nynke M S
NM
Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Lie-Venema
Heleen
H
Maas
Saskia
S
Eralp
Ismail
I
DeRuiter
Marco C
MC
Poelmann
Robert E
RE
Gittenberger-De Groot
Adriana C
AC
D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000378:metabolism; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000378:metabolism; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D020574:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020797:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D020574:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis; C075278:platelet-derived growth factor A; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha; D020797:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta