Activin A Modulates CRIPTO-1/HNF4α⁺ Cells to Guide Cardiac Differentiation from Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Figure 2

Gene expression analyses of human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) subjected to cardiac differentiation in the presence of Activin A (ActA). Expression profiles of human ESC-derived CMs (ESC-CMs) for (a) pluripotency (OCT4, NANOG), (b) mesodermal (BRACH, NKX2.5), (c) ectodermal (PAX6, SOX1), and (d) endodermal (SOX17, HNF4α) lineage markers, monitored at days 0, 2, 4, and 7 of differentiation. Dashed lines show basal expression levels of undifferentiated ESCs. Each data point is represented as , normalized for the housekeeping genes GAPDH, HPRT, and RPL13a. Note that ActA treatment during the early phase of cardiomyocyte (CM) differentiation directed human ESCs towards the mesendoderm cell fate. Data are representative of three independent experiments and values are expressed as mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM). Significant differences are indicated as : versus control, $ versus 10 ng/mL ActA, and # versus 25 ng/mL ActA; : versus control; : ∗∗∗ versus control.

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