| First Author | van Berlo JH | Year | 2014 |
| Journal | Nature | Volume | 509 |
| Issue | 7500 | Pages | 337-41 |
| PubMed ID | 24805242 | Mgi Jnum | J:210584 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5571472 | Doi | 10.1038/nature13309 |
| Citation | van Berlo JH, et al. (2014) c-kit+ cells minimally contribute cardiomyocytes to the heart. Nature 509(7500):337-41 |
| abstractText | If and how the heart regenerates after an injury event is highly debated. c-kit-expressing cardiac progenitor cells have been reported as the primary source for generation of new myocardium after injury. Here we generated two genetic approaches in mice to examine whether endogenous c-kit(+) cells contribute differentiated cardiomyocytes to the heart during development, with ageing or after injury in adulthood. A complementary DNA encoding either Cre recombinase or a tamoxifen-inducible MerCreMer chimaeric protein was targeted to the Kit locus in mice and then bred with reporter lines to permanently mark cell lineage. Endogenous c-kit(+) cells did produce new cardiomyocytes within the heart, although at a percentage of approximately 0.03 or less, and if a preponderance towards cellular fusion is considered, the percentage falls to below approximately 0.008. By contrast, c-kit(+) cells amply generated cardiac endothelial cells. Thus, endogenous c-kit(+) cells can generate cardiomyocytes within the heart, although probably at a functionally insignificant level. |
