PDGF signaling is required for epicardial function and blood vessel formation in regenerating zebrafish hearts

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0915016107
• Publication Date: 2010-09-22T02:28:10Z
• Authors: Jieun Kim; Qiong Wu; Yolanda Zhang; Katie M. Wiens; Ying Huang; Nicole Rubin; Hiroyuki Shimada; Robert I. Handin; Michael Y. Chao; Tai-Lan Tuan; Vaughn A. Starnes; Ching-Ling Lien
• Keywords: Mural cell; Heart development

A zebrafish heart can fully regenerate after amputation of up to 20% its ventricle. During this process, newly formed coronary blood vessels revascularize the regenerating tissue. The formation during regeneration likely recapitulates embryonic vessel development, which involves activation and proliferation epicardium, followed by an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. molecular cellular mechanisms underlying these processes are not well understood. We examined role PDGF signaling in explant-derived primary cultured epicardial cells vitro hearts vivo. observed that mural mesenchymal cell markers, including pdgfr β, up-regulated hearts. Using a culture derived from explants, we found is essential for proliferation. also induces stress fibers loss cell-cell contacts explant culture. This effect mediated Rho-associated protein kinase. Inhibition vivo impairs proliferation, expression formation. Our data suggest plays important roles function zebrafish.