A chick embryo in which the early, primitive but nonetheless pumping heart is stained in dark brown
Findings just published in the journal PLOS ONE are the first to show how cells at very early stages of development migrate and give rise to the different parts of the heart.
The research was carried out by biologists at the Universities of Portsmouth and East Anglia and was
funded by the British Heart Foundation.
Dr Susanne Dietrich, of the University of Portsmouth’s Department of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, and her colleagues at UEA investigated chick embryos, between 12 and 14 hours after the eggs were laid.
Dr Dietrich said: “We found that some cells migrate into the area that forms the heart early, and these cells set up a primitive pump. But there are cells that arrive later, and they ensure that the fully functional four-chambered hearts develops.”
Dr Susanne Dietrich
Professor Andrea Münsterberg, of UEA, said: “We were researching chick embryos, but the process of heart development in humans is very similar.
“It takes a little longer in humans and happens in the third week of pregnancy. It is likely that what we learned in chick embryos can be applied to human development.
“The next step in our research will be to identify the factors, which guide these early heart cells to the right
place at the correct time.”
A significant number of babies are born with defects in their hearts and it is hoped that understanding some of the underlying causes may be helpful for affected families.
The paper, Fate mapping identifies the origin of SHF/AHF progenitors in the chick primitive streak, by Esther Camp (UEA), Susanne Dietrich (University of Portsmouth) and Andrea Münsterberg is available online at: http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0051948
