Figure 1

N-cadherin expression in embryonic stem cell-derived AHF cardiac progenitors. (A) “Cell-cell adhesion” genes enriched in embryonic stem cell-derived cardiac progenitor cells identified through the analysis of the microarray dataset reported by Domian et al.20. (B) Quantitative PCR analysis of N-cadherin expression (Cdh2) in cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) derived from day 6 embryoid bodies (EBs) compared to non-cardiac cells (control) isolated from the same EBs. Error bars indicate SD, n = 3 experiments, *P < 0.05, evaluated by Student's t-test. (C) Representative sagittal section of wild-type mouse embryo (E9.5) immunostained for E-cadherin (red). Enlarged image shows a lack of E-cadherin expression in the PM (indicated by white arrows). Nuclei were marked by DAPI. Scale bar, 200 μm. (D) Sagittal section of wild-type mouse embryo (E9.5) immunostained for N-cadherin (red) and Mef2c (green). N-cadherin expression increases anteriorly towards the outflow tract (OFT) (yellow arrows). Coincident with the increase in N-cadherin expression was an increase in Mef2c expression, an important myocardial cell differentiation marker. Nuclei were marked by DAPI. Scale bar, 200 μm. (E) Immunofluorescence on sagittal section of wild-type mouse embryo at E9.0. N-cadherin (red) is weakly expressed in the Isl1+ (green) CDCs in the AHF (enlarged image). Arrows indicate strong N-cadherin expression in differentiated cardiomyocytes within the heart tube. Section orientation is as shown: A, anterior; P, posterior; D, Dorsal; V, ventral. Scale bar, 20 μm. (F) N-cadherin expression in CPCs compared to cardiomyocytes (CMs). The analysis was based on microarray datasets reported by Domian et al.20.