title: Distinct compartments of the proepicardial organ give rise to coronary vascular endothelial cells.
abstract: The proepicardial organ is an important transient structure that contributes cells to various cardiac lineages. However, its contribution to the coronary endothelium has been disputed, with conflicting data arising in chick and mouse. Here we resolve this conflict by identifying two proepicardial markers, Scleraxis (Scx) and Semaphorin3D (Sema3D), that genetically delineate heretofore uncharacterized proepicardial subcompartments. In contrast to previously fate-mapped Tbx18/WT-1-expressing cells that give rise to vascular smooth muscle, Scx- and Sema3D-expressing proepicardial cells give rise to coronary vascular endothelium both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, Sema3D(+) and Scx(+) proepicardial cells contribute to the early sinus venosus and cardiac endocardium, respectively, two tissues linked to vascular endothelial formation at later stages. Taken together, our studies demonstrate that the proepicardial organ is a molecularly compartmentalized structure, reconciling prior chick and mouse data and providing a more complete understanding of the progenitor populations that establish the coronary vascular endothelium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Tamar C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Manvendra K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Degenhardt
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rivera-Feliciano
authors.forename: Randy L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Jonathan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.forename: Clifford J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Tabin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010496:Pericardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D039961:Semaphorins / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D039961:Semaphorins; C503815:Scx protein, mouse; C530499:Sema 3D protein, mouse