BVES AND INTRACARDIAC ARTERY DEVELOPMENT

心脏发育涉及不同细胞类型的生成和相互作用，以形成功能器官。 肌细胞、内皮细胞、成纤维细胞、心外膜、血管内皮细胞和平滑肌细胞是构成心脏的主要细胞类型。 前心外膜器官是许多这些细胞的来源。 它是一种短暂的胚胎结构，其后代形成心外膜和心内动脉，包括冠状动脉。 因此，了解前心外膜器官及其后代的作用对于了解心脏发育至关重要。 在努力确定心脏器官发生的分子机制，我们已经分离出新的心脏特异性信息在形态发生过程中表达。 一种这样的信息，Bves，在大多数，如果不是所有的细胞eproepicardial器官，迁移心外膜，分层的自由迁移间充质和心脏血管平滑肌细胞。 此外，Bves的亚细胞定位经历了一个戏剧性的变化，这一细胞谱系的分化。 我们的目标将确定在这个复杂的过程中Bves表达的正常模式（目的1），Bves功能如何被心脏形态发生中的已知突变改变（目的2）以及Bves功能的丧失如何潜在地改变形态发生（目的3）。 这些目标将共同确定Bves的功能，其在心脏血管生成中的作用以及对心内动脉发育的基本了解。

Heart development involves the generation and interaction of diverse cell types to form a functional organ. Myocytes, endocardium, fibroblasts, epicardium, vascular endothelium and smooth muscle cells are the primary cell types that comprise the heart. The proepicardial organ is the source of many of these cells. It is a transitory embryonic structure whose progeny form, amongst other structures, the epicardium and intracardiac arteries including the coronary arteries. Thus, an understanding of the role of the proepicardial organ and its progeny is essential for an understanding of heart development. In an effort to identify the molecular mechanisms governing heart organogenesis, we have isolated novel cardiac-specific messages expressed during morphogenesis. One such message, Bves, is expressed in most, if not all cells of the eproepicardial organ, migrating epicardial, delaminated freely migratory mesenchyme and cardiac vascular smooth muscle cells. In addition, the subcellular localization of Bves undergoes a dramatic change with differentiation of this cell lineage. Our aims will determine the normal pattern of Bves expression during this complex process (aim 1), how Bves function is altered by known mutations in cardiac morphogenesis (aim 2) and how loss of Bves function potentially alters morphogenesis (aim 3). Taken together these aims will determine the function(s) of Bves, its role in the generation of cardiac blood vessels and basic insight into intracardiac artery development.