Limited Regeneration Potential with Minimal Epicardial Progenitor Conversions in the Neonatal Mouse Heart after Injury

Weibin Cai, Jing Tan, Jianyun Yan, Lu Zhang, Xiaoqiang Cai, Haiping Wang, Fang Liu, Maoqing Ye, Chen Leng Cai

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

The regeneration capacity of neonatal mouse heart is controversial. In addition, whether epicardial cells provide a progenitor pool for de novo heart regeneration is incompletely defined. Following apical resection of the neonatal mouse heart, we observed limited regeneration potential. Fate-mapping of Tbx18MerCreMer mice revealed that newly formed coronary vessels and a limited number of cardiomyocytes were derived from the T-box transcription factor 18 (Tbx18) lineage. However, further lineage tracing with SM-MHCCreERT2 and Nfactc1Cre mice revealed that the new smooth muscle and endothelial cells are in fact derivatives of pre-existing coronary vessels. Our data show that neonatal mouse heart can regenerate but that its potential is limited. Moreover, although epicardial cells are multipotent during embryogenesis, their contribution to heart repair through “stem” or “progenitor” cell conversion is minimal after birth. These observations suggest that early embryonic heart development and postnatal heart regeneration are distinct biological processes. Multipotency of epicardial cells is significantly decreased after birth.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)190-201.e3
JournalCell Reports
Volume28
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2 Jul 2019

Keywords

  • cell lineage tracing
  • epicardial cells
  • heart regeneration
  • neonatal mouse

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