Lineage and development of the parasympathetic nervous system of the embryonic chick heart

Cardiac Development and Factors Influencing the Development of Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs): Part I

The traditional description of cardiac development involves progression from a cardiac crescent to a linear heart tube, which in the phase of transformation into a mature heart forms a cardiac loop and is divided with the septa into individual cavities. Cardiac morphogenesis involves numerous types of cells originating outside the initial cardiac crescent, including neural crest cells, cells of the second heart field origin, and epicardial progenitor cells. The development of the fetal heart and circulatory system is subject to regulatation by both genetic and environmental processes. The etiology for cases with congenital heart defects (CHDs) is largely unknown, but several genetic anomalies, some maternal illnesses, and prenatal exposures to specific therapeutic and non-therapeutic drugs are generally accepted as risk factors. New techniques for studying heart development have revealed many aspects of cardiac morphogenesis that are important in the development of CHDs, in particular transposition of the great arteries.

Impact of Non-Muscle Cells on Excitation-Contraction Coupling in the Heart and the Importance of In Vitro Models

Excitation-coupling (ECC) is paramount for coordinated contraction to maintain sufficient cardiac output. The study of ECC regulation has primarily been limited to cardiomyocytes (CMs), which conduct voltage waves via calcium fluxes from one cell to another, eliciting contraction of the atria followed by the ventricles. CMs rapidly transmit ionic flux via gap junction proteins, predominantly connexin 43. While the expression of connexin isoforms has been identified in each of the individual cell populations comprising the heart, the formation of gap junctions with nonmuscle cells (i.e., macrophages and Schwann cells) has gained new attention. Evaluating nonmuscle contributions to ECC in vivo or in situ remains difficult and necessitates the development of simple, yet biomimetic in vitro models to better understand and prevent physiological dysfunction. Standard 2D cell culture often consists of homogenous cell populations and lacks the dynamic mechanical environment of native tissue, confounding the phenotypic and proteomic makeup of these highly mechanosensitive cell populations in prolonged culture conditions. This review will highlight the recent developments and the importance of new microphysiological systems to better understand the complex regulation of ECC in cardiac tissue.

Outflow Tract Formation-Embryonic Origins of Conotruncal Congenital Heart Disease

Anomalies in the cardiac outflow tract (OFT) are among the most frequent congenital heart defects (CHDs). During embryogenesis, the cardiac OFT is a dynamic structure at the arterial pole of the heart. Heart tube elongation occurs by addition of cells from pharyngeal, splanchnic mesoderm to both ends. These progenitor cells, termed the second heart field (SHF), were first identified twenty years ago as essential to the growth of the forming heart tube and major contributors to the OFT. Perturbation of SHF development results in common forms of CHDs, including anomalies of the great arteries. OFT development also depends on paracrine interactions between multiple cell types, including myocardial, endocardial and neural crest lineages. In this publication, dedicated to Professor Andriana Gittenberger-De Groot and her contributions to the field of cardiac development and CHDs, we review some of her pioneering studies of OFT development with particular interest in the diverse origins of the many cell types that contribute to the OFT. We also discuss the clinical implications of selected key findings for our understanding of the etiology of CHDs and particularly OFT malformations.

Embryonic Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) as a Model of Cardiac Biology and Development

Cardiovascular disease remains one of the top contributors to morbidity and mortality in the United States. Increasing evidence suggests that many processes, pathways, and programs observed during development and organogenesis are recapitulated in adults in the face of disease. Therefore, a heightened understanding of cardiac development and organogenesis will help increase our understanding of developmental defects and cardiovascular diseases in adults. Chicks have long served as a model system in which to study developmental problems. Detailed descriptions of morphogenesis, low cost, accessibility, ease of manipulation, and the optimization of genetic engineering techniques have made chicks a robust model for studying development and make it a powerful platform for cardiovascular research. This review summarizes the cardiac developmental milestones of embryonic chickens, practical considerations when working with chicken embryos, and techniques available for use in chicks (including tissue chimeras, genetic manipulations, and live imaging). In addition, this article highlights examples that accentuate the utility of the embryonic chicken as model system in which to study cardiac development, particularly epicardial development, and that underscore the importance of how studying development informs our understanding of disease.

CD57 (Leu-7, HNK-1) immunoreactivity seen in thin arteries in the human fetal lung

CD57 (synonyms: Leu-7, HNK-1) is a well-known marker of nerve elements including the conductive system of the heart, as well as natural killer cells. In lung specimens from 12 human fetuses at 10-34 weeks of gestation, we have found incidentally that segmental, subsegmental, and more peripheral arteries strongly expressed CD57. Capillaries near developing alveoli were often or sometimes positive. The CD57-positive tissue elements within intrapulmonary arteries seemed to be the endothelium, internal elastic lamina, and smooth muscle layer, which corresponded to tissue positive for a DAKO antibody reactive with smooth muscle actin we used. However, the lobar artery and pulmonary arterial trunk as well as bronchial arteries were negative. Likewise, arteries in and along any abdominal viscera, as well as the heart, thymus, and thyroid, did not express CD57. Thus, the lung-specific CD57 reactivity was not connected with either of an endodermal- or a branchial arch-origin. CD57 antigen is a sugar chain characterized by a sulfated glucuronic acid residue that is likely to exist in some glycosphingolipids. Therefore, a chemical affinity or an interaction might exist between CD57-positive arterioles and glycosphingolipids originating from alveoli, resulting in acceleration of capillary budding to make contact with the alveolar wall. CD57 might therefore be a functional marker of the developing air-blood interface that characterizes the fetal lung at the canalicular stage.

Part and Parcel of the Cardiac Autonomic Nerve System: Unravelling Its Cellular Building Blocks during Development

The autonomic nervous system (cANS) is essential for proper heart function, and complications such as heart failure, arrhythmias and even sudden cardiac death are associated with an altered cANS function. A changed innervation state may underlie (part of) the atrial and ventricular arrhythmias observed after myocardial infarction. In other cardiac diseases, such as congenital heart disease, autonomic dysfunction may be related to disease outcome. This is also the case after heart transplantation, when the heart is denervated. Interest in the origin of the autonomic nerve system has renewed since the role of autonomic function in disease progression was recognized, and some plasticity in autonomic regeneration is evident. As with many pathological processes, autonomic dysfunction based on pathological innervation may be a partial recapitulation of the early development of innervation. As such, insight into the development of cardiac innervation and an understanding of the cellular background contributing to cardiac innervation during different phases of development is required. This review describes the development of the cANS and focuses on the cellular contributions, either directly by delivering cells or indirectly by secretion of necessary factors or cell-derivatives.

On the vagal cardiac nerves, with special reference to the early evolution of the head-trunk interface

The vagus nerve, or the tenth cranial nerve, innervates the heart in addition to other visceral organs, including the posterior visceral arches. In amniotes, the anterior and posterior cardiac branches arise from the branchial and intestinal portions of the vagus nerve to innervate the arterial and venous poles of the heart, respectively. The evolution of this innervation pattern has yet to be elucidated, due mainly to the lack of morphological data on the vagus in basal vertebrates. To investigate this topic, we observed the vagus nerves of the lamprey (Lethenteron japonicum), elephant shark (Callorhinchus milii), and mouse (Mus musculus), focusing on the embryonic patterns of the vagal branches in the venous pole. In the lamprey, no vagus branch was found in the venous pole throughout development, whereas the arterial pole was innervated by a branch from the branchial portion. In contrast, the vagus innervated the arterial and venous poles in the mouse and elephant shark. Based on the morphological patterns of these branches, the venous vagal branches of the mouse and elephant shark appear to belong to the intestinal part of the vagus, implying that the cardiac nerve pattern is conserved among crown gnathostomes. Furthermore, we found a topographical shift of the structures adjacent to the venous pole (i.e., the hypoglossal nerve and pronephros) between the extant gnathostomes and lamprey. Phylogenetically, the lamprey morphology is likely to be the ancestral condition for vertebrates, suggesting that the evolution of the venous branch occurred early in the gnathostome lineage, in parallel with the remodeling of the head-trunk interfacial domain during the acquisition of the neck. J. Morphol. 277:1146-1158, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The avian embryo to study development of the cardiac conduction system

The avian embryo has long been a popular model system in developmental biology. The easy accessibility of the embryo makes it particularly suitable for in ovo microsurgery and manipulation. Re-incubation of the embryo allows long-term follow-up of these procedures. The current review focuses on the variety of techniques available to study development of the cardiac conduction system in avian embryos. Based on the large amount of relevant data arising from experiments in avian embryos, we conclude that the avian embryo has and will continue to be a powerful model system to study development in general and the developing cardiac conduction system in particular.

Connecting teratogen-induced congenital heart defects to neural crest cells and their effect on cardiac function

Neural crest cells play many key roles in embryonic development, as demonstrated by the abnormalities that result from their specific absence or dysfunction. Unfortunately, these key cells are particularly sensitive to abnormalities in various intrinsic and extrinsic factors, such as genetic deletions or ethanol-exposure that lead to morbidity and mortality for organisms. This review discusses the role identified for a segment of neural crest in regulating the morphogenesis of the heart and associated great vessels. The paradox is that their derivatives constitute a small proportion of cells to the cardiovascular system. Findings supporting that these cells impact early cardiac function raises the interesting possibility that they indirectly control cardiovascular development at least partially through regulating function. Making connections between insults to the neural crest, cardiac function, and morphogenesis is more approachable with technological advances. Expanding our understanding of early functional consequences could be useful in improving diagnosis and testing therapies.

Analysis of neural crest migration and differentiation by cross-species transplantation

Avian embryos provide a unique platform for studying many vertebrate developmental processes, due to the easy access of the embryos within the egg. Chimeric avian embryos, in which quail donor tissue is transplanted into a chick embryo in ovo, combine the power of indelible genetic labeling of cell populations with the ease of manipulation presented by the avian embryo. Quail-chick chimeras are a classical tool for tracing migratory neural crest cells (NCCs). NCCs are a transient migratory population of cells in the embryo, which originate in the dorsal region of the developing neural tube. They undergo an epithelial to mesenchymal transition and subsequently migrate to other regions of the embryo, where they differentiate into various cell types including cartilage, melanocytes, neurons and glia. NCCs are multipotent, and their ultimate fate is influenced by 1) the region of the neural tube in which they originate along the rostro-caudal axis of the embryo, 2) signals from neighboring cells as they migrate, and 3) the microenvironment of their ultimate destination within the embryo. Tracing these cells from their point of origin at the neural tube, to their final position and fate within the embryo, provides important insight into the developmental processes that regulate patterning and organogenesis. Transplantation of complementary regions of donor neural tube (homotopic grafting) or different regions of donor neural tube (heterotopic grafting) can reveal differences in pre-specification of NCCs along the rostro-caudal axis. This technique can be further adapted to transplant a unilateral compartment of the neural tube, such that one side is derived from donor tissue, and the contralateral side remains unperturbed in the host embryo, yielding an internal control within the same sample. It can also be adapted for transplantation of brain segments in later embryos, after HH10, when the anterior neural tube has closed. Here we report techniques for generating quail-chick chimeras via neural tube transplantation, which allow for tracing of migratory NCCs derived from a discrete segment of the neural tube. Species-specific labeling of the donor-derived cells with the quail-specific QCPN antibody allows the researcher to distinguish donor and host cells at the experimental end point. This technique is straightforward, inexpensive, and has many applications, including fate-mapping, cell lineage tracing, and identifying pre-patterning events along the rostro-caudal axis. Because of the ease of access to the avian embryo, the quail-chick graft technique may be combined with other manipulations, including but not limited to lens ablation, injection of inhibitory molecules, or genetic manipulation via electroporation of expression plasmids, to identify the response of particular migratory streams of NCCs to perturbations in the embryo's developmental program. Furthermore, this grafting technique may also be used to generate other interspecific chimeric embryos such as quail-duck chimeras to study NCC contribution to craniofacial morphogenesis, or mouse-chick chimeras to combine the power of mouse genetics with the ease of manipulation of the avian embryo.

Detailed comparative anatomy of the extrinsic cardiac nerve plexus and postnatal reorganization of the cardiac position and innervation in the great apes: orangutans, gorillas, and chimpanzees

To speculate how the extrinsic cardiac nerve plexus (ECNP) evolves phyletically and ontogenetically within the primate lineage, we conducted a comparative anatomical study of the ECNP, including an imaging examination in the great apes using 20 sides from 11 bodies from three species and a range of postnatal stages from newborns to mature adults. Although the position of the middle cervical ganglion (MG) in the great apes tended to be relatively lower than that in humans, the morphology of the ECNP in adult great apes was almost consistent with that in adult humans but essentially different from that in the lesser apes or gibbons. Therefore, the well-argued anatomical question of when did the MG acquire communicating branches with the spinal cervical nerves and appear constantly in all sympathetic cardiac nerves during primate evolution is clearly considered to be after the great apes and gibbons split. Moreover, a horizontal four-chambered heart and a lifted cardiac apex with a relatively large volume in newborn great apes rapidly changed its position downward, as seen in humans during postnatal growth and was associated with a reduction in the hepatic volume by imaging diagnosis and gross anatomy. In addition, our observation using a range of postnatal stages exhibits that two sympathetic ganglia, the middle cervical and cervicothoracic ganglia, differed between the early and later postnatal stages.

PDGF function in diverse neural crest cell populations

Activation of platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) receptors causes context-dependent cellular responses, including proliferation and migration, and studies in model organisms have demonstrated that this receptor family (PDGFRα and PDGFRβ) is required in many mesenchymal and migratory cell populations during embryonic development. One of these migratory cell populations is the neural crest, which forms cranial bone and mesenchyme, sympathetic neurons and ganglia, melanocytes, and smooth muscle. Mice with disruption of PDGF signaling exhibit defects in some of these neural crest derivatives including the palate, aortic arch, salivary gland, and thymus. Although many of these neural crest defects were identified many years ago, the mechanism of action of PDGF in neural crest remains controversial. In this review, we examine the current knowledge of PDGF function during neural crest cell (NCC) development, focusing on its role in the formation of different neural crest-derived tissues and the implications for PDGF receptors in NCC-related human birth defects.

Anatomy of the cardiac nervous system with clinical and comparative morphological implications

Unlike autonomic nervous preservation in other surgeries for improving patient quality of life, autonomic cardiac nervous system (ACNS) preservation has been neglected in cardiovascular surgery because of technical difficulties and other unsolved issues. Because such ACNS preservation in cardiovascular surgery is anticipated in the future, detailed anatomical investigation of the human ACNS is required. Therefore, we have conducted morphological studies of the ACNS from macroscopic, clinical, and evolutionary anatomical viewpoints. In this study, I review detailed anatomical studies of the human ACNS together with their clinical implications. In addition, the evolutionary comparative anatomical significance of primate ACNS is also summarized to help understand and translate the findings of functional experiments to humans. These integrated findings will be the subject of a future study unifying molecular embryological and anatomical findings to clarify cardiac functions based on functional animal experiments, clinical applications such as improving surgery techniques and individual order-made surgery in cardiac surgery, and for future evaluation in regenerative medicine.

Role of VEGF and tissue hypoxia in patterning of neural and vascular cells recruited to the embryonic heart

We hypothesized that oxygen gradients and hypoxia-responsive signaling may play a role in the patterning of neural or vascular cells recruited to the developing heart. Endothelial progenitor and neural cells are recruited to and form branched structures adjacent to the relatively hypoxic outflow tract (OFT) myocardium from stages 27-32 (ED6.5-7.5) of chick development. As determined by whole mount confocal microscopy, the neural and vascular structures were not anatomically associated. Adenoviral delivery of a VEGF trap dramatically affected the remodeling of the vascular plexus into a coronary tree while neuronal branching was normal. Both neuronal and vascular branching was diminished in the hearts of embryos incubated under hyperoxic conditions. Quantitative analysis of the vascular defects using our recently developed VESGEN program demonstrated reduced small vessel branching and increased vessel diameters. We propose that vascular and neural patterning in the developing heart share dependence on tissue oxygen gradients but are not interdependent.

Reduced versican cleavage due to Adamts9 haploinsufficiency is associated with cardiac and aortic anomalies

Here, we demonstrate that ADAMTS9, a highly conserved versican-degrading protease, is required for correct cardiovascular development and adult homeostasis. Analysis of Adamts9(+/LacZ) adult mice revealed anomalies in the aortic wall, valvulosinus and valve leaflets. Abnormal myocardial projections and 'spongy' myocardium consistent with non-compaction of the left ventricle were also found in Adamts9(+/LacZ) mice. During development, Adamts9 was expressed in derivatives of the Secondary Heart Field, vascular smooth muscle cells in the arterial wall, mesenchymal cells of the valves, and non-myocardial cells of the ventricles, but expression also continued in the adult heart and ascending aorta. Thus, the adult cardiovascular anomalies found in Adamts9(+/LacZ) hearts could result from subtle developmental alterations in extracellular matrix remodeling or defects in adult homeostasis. The valvular and aortic anomalies of Adamts9(+/LacZ) hearts were associated with accumulation of versican and a decrease in cleaved versican relative to WT littermates. These data suggest a potentially important role for ADAMTS9 cleavage of versican, or other, as yet undefined substrates in development and allostasis of cardiovascular extracellular matrix. In addition, these studies identify ADAMTS9 as a potential candidate gene for congenital cardiac anomalies. Mouse models of ADAMTS9 deficiency may be useful to study myxomatous valve degeneration.

Epibranchial ganglia orchestrate the development of the cranial neurogenic crest

The wiring of the nervous system arises from extensive directional migration of neuronal cell bodies and growth of processes that, somehow, end up forming functional circuits. Thus far, this feat of biological engineering appears to rely on sequences of pathfinding decisions upon local cues, each with little relationship to the anatomical and physiological outcome. Here, we uncover a straightforward cellular mechanism for circuit building whereby a neuronal type directs the development of its future partners. We show that visceral afferents of the head (that innervate taste buds) provide a scaffold for the establishment of visceral efferents (that innervate salivatory glands and blood vessels). In embryological terms, sensory neurons derived from an epibranchial placode--that we show to develop largely independently from the neural crest--guide the directional outgrowth of hindbrain visceral motoneurons and control the formation of neural crest-derived parasympathetic ganglia.

Autonomic innervation of the developing heart: origins and function

Maintenance of homeostatic circulation in mammals and birds is reliant upon autonomic innervation of the heart. Neural branches of mixed cellular origin and function innervate the heart at the arterial and venous poles as it matures, eventually coupling autonomic output to the cardiac components, including the conduction system. The development of neural identity is controlled by specific networks of genes and growth factors, whereas functional properties are governed by the use of different neurotransmitters. In this review, we summarize briefly the anatomic arrangement of the vertebrate autonomic nervous system and describe, in detail, the innervation of the heart. We discuss the timing of cardiac innervation in the chick and mouse, emphasizing the relationship of the cardiac neural networks to the anatomical structures within the heart. We also discuss the variable contribution of the neural crest to vagal cardiac nerves, and summarize the main neurotransmitters secreted by the developing sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic divisions. We provide an overview of the main growth factor and gene families involved in neural development, discussing how these factors may impact upon the development of cardiac abnormalities in congenital syndromes associated with autonomic dysfunction.

Origin and fate of cardiac mesenchyme

The development of the embryonic heart is dependent upon the generation and incorporation of different mesenchymal subpopulations that derive from intra- and extra-cardiac sources, including the endocardium, epicardium, neural crest, and second heart field. Each of these populations plays a crucial role in cardiovascular development, in particular in the formation of the valvuloseptal apparatus. Notwithstanding shared mechanisms by which these cells are generated, their fate and function differ profoundly by their originating source. While most of our early insights into the origin and fate of the cardiac mesenchyme has come from experimental studies in avian model systems, recent advances in transgenic mouse technology has enhanced our ability to study these cell populations in the mammalian heart. In this article, we will review the current understanding of the role of cardiac mesenchyme in cardiac morphogenesis and discuss several new paradigms based on recent studies in the mouse.

PDGF-B signaling is important for murine cardiac development: its role in developing atrioventricular valves, coronaries, and cardiac innervation

We hypothesized that PDGF-B/PDGFR-beta-signaling is important in the cardiac contribution of epicardium-derived cells and cardiac neural crest, cell lineages crucial for heart development. We analyzed hearts of different embryonic stages of both Pdgf-b-/- and Pdgfr-beta-/- mouse embryos for structural aberrations with an established causal relation to defective contribution of these cell lineages. Immunohistochemical staining for alphaSMA, periostin, ephrinB2, EphB4, VEGFR-2, Dll1, and NCAM was performed on wild-type and knockout embryos. We observed that knockout embryos showed perimembranous and muscular ventricular septal defects, maldevelopment of the atrioventricular cushions and valves, impaired coronary arteriogenesis, and hypoplasia of the myocardium and cardiac nerves. The abnormalities correspond with models in which epicardial development is impaired and with neuronal neural crest-related innervation deficits. This implies a role for PDGF-B/PDGFR-beta-signaling specifically in the contribution of these cell lineages to cardiac development.

Cells migrating from the neural crest contribute to the innervation of the venous pole of the heart

Cells migrating from the neural crest are known to septate the outflow tract of the developing heart, and to contribute to the formation of the arterial valves, their supporting sinuses, the coronary arteries and cardiac neural ganglia. Neural crest cells have also been suggested to contribute to development of the venous pole of the heart, but the extent and fate of such cells remains unclear. In this study, in the mouse, it is shown that cells from the neural crest contribute to the parasympathetic and, to a lesser extent, the sympathetic innervation of the venous pole of the heart. Nerves within the venous pole of the heart are shown to be of mixed origin, with some being derived from the neural crest, while others have an alternative origin, presumably placodal. The neurons innervating the nodal tissue, which can exert chronotropic effects on cardiac conduction, are shown not to be derived from the neural crest. In particular, no evidence was found to support previous suggestions that cells from the neural crest make a direct contribution to the myocardial atrioventricular conduction axis, although a small subset of these cells do co-localize with the developing left bundle branch. We have therefore confirmed that cells from the neural crest migrate to the venous pole of the heart, and that their major role is in the development of the parasympathetic innervation. In addition, in some embryos, a population of cells derived from the neural crest persist in the leaflets of the atrioventricular valves, but their role in subsequent development remains unknown.

Morphological comparison of the cardiac autonomic nervous system between normal and abnormal great arterial branching pattern with a brief review of the literature

Information on the topological relationship between arterial and peripheral autonomic nervous systems is insufficient for application to other research fields as each system has been analyzed separately during a long anatomical history. In the present study, we scrutinized the topological changes in the cardiac autonomic nervous system (CANS) in cadavers with a normal great arterial branching pattern of the aortic arch and in those with an anomalous left vertebral artery. These results were then compared with our previous report on cadavers with a retroesophageal right subclavian artery, and we attempted to consider the possible morphological causal principles of the changes. This report would be useful not only for morphological research but also to improve cardiac treatment and animal experiments. Although the CANS shift was considered when a great arterial branching anomaly appeared, additional cardiac nerves along the anomalous artery were found in addition to the normal CANS composition, based on our present and previous anomalous reports. From both developmental and anatomical viewpoints, CANS may depend on the surrounding arterial system. Therefore, a detailed analysis of the peripheral autonomic nervous system with its surrounding structures, especially the arterial system, has filled the gap between morphological and molecular embryological research in addition to the clinical significance in cardiac surgery, the understanding of experimental results, and the application to cardiac functions.

Evolutionary and comparative anatomical investigations of the autonomic cardiac nervous system in the African cercopithecidae

The purpose of this study was to clarify the general architecture and morphological variations of the autonomic cardiac nervous system (ACNS) in the African Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys), and to discuss the evolutionary changes between this system in African/Asian Cercopithecidae and humans. A detailed macroscopic comparative morphological investigation of the ACNS was performed by examining the left and right sides of 11 African cercopithecid specimens, including some previously unreported species (Abyssinian colobus, Angola pied colobus, Savanna monkey, and lesser white-nosed guenon). The common characteristics of the ACNS in the African Cercopithecidae are described in detail. Consequently, homologies of the ACNS between Asian (macaques) and African Cercopithecidae, and differences between the Asian/African Cercopithecidae and humans, were found. In particular, differences in the sympathetic (cardiac) systems of the Cercopithecidae and humans were recognized, despite the similar morphology of the parasympathetic vagal (cardiac) system. These differences include the composition of the cervicothoracic ganglion, the lower positions of the middle cervical and cervicothoracic ganglia, and the narrow range for the origin of the cardiac nerves in the Cercopithecidae, compared with that in humans. In conclusion, these findings are considered with regard to the morphology of the last common ancestors of the Cercopithecidae.

Gross anatomical study of the sympathetic cardiac nerves in the house musk shrew (Suncus murinus)

The sympathetic cardiac nerves originating from the cervical and upper thoracic sympathetic ganglia in the house musk shrew (Suncus murinus) were examined using macroscopic and whole-mount immunohistochemical methods. Based on the results, the nerves were macroscopically classified into the following three groups: nerves innervating the cervical sympathetic ganglia mainly to the arterial porta of the heart; nerves supplying the stellate and thoracic sympathetic ganglia at the level of T2-T5 or T6 for both the arterial and venous portae of the heart; and nerves innervating the thoracic sympathetic ganglia at the level of T4-T9 to the esophagus and lung and then the heart via the blood vessels within the mediastinal pleura. These findings in the house musk shrew suggest a possible primitive morphological pattern of the cervical and thoracic sympathetic nervous system that may be related to those in other mammals, including humans.

Regionalized expression of ADAM13 during chicken embryonic development

ADAMs are a family of membrane proteins possessing a disintegrin domain and a metalloprotease domain, which have functions in cell-cell adhesion, cell-matrix adhesion, and protein shedding, respectively. ADAMs are involved in morphogenesis and tissue formation during embryonic development. In the present study, chicken ADAM13 was cloned and identified, and its expression was investigated by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization during chicken embryonic development. Our results show that ADAM13 expression is temporally and spatially regulated in chicken embryos. At early developmental stages, ADAM13 is expressed in the head mesenchyme, which later develops into the craniofacial skeleton, in the branchial arches, and in the meninges surrounding the brain. Furthermore, ADAM13 mRNA was also detected in several tissues and organs, such as the somites and their derived muscles, the meninges surrounding the spinal cord, the dorsal aorta, the developing kidney, and several digestive organs.

Vascular patterning of the quail coronary system during development

Recent studies have provided insights into specific events that contribute to vasculogenesis and angiogenesis in the developing coronary vasculature. This study focused on the developmental progression of coronary vascularization beginning with tube formation and ending with the establishment of a coronary arterial tree. We used electron microscopy, histology of serial sections, and immunohistochemistry in order to provide a comprehensive view of coronary vessel formation during the embryonic and fetal periods of the quail heart, a species that has been used in a number of studies addressing myocardial vascularization. Our data reveal features of progenitor cells and blood islands, tubular formation, and the anatomical relationship of a transformed periarterial tubular network and sympathetic ganglia to the emergence and branching of the right and left coronary arteries. We have traced the pattern of coronary artery branching and documented its innervation. Finally, our data include the relationship of fibronectin, laminin, and apoptosis to coronary artery growth. Our findings bring together morphological events that occur over the embryonic and fetal periods and provide a baseline for studies into the mechanisms that regulate the various events that occur during these time periods.

Neural crest cells retain multipotential characteristics in the developing valves and label the cardiac conduction system

Multipotent neural crest cells (NCCs) are a major extracardiac component of cardiovascular development. Although recognized as contributing cells to the arterial valves at early developmental stages, NCC persistence in the valves at later times or in the adult heart is controversial. We analyzed NCC persistence and contributions to both semilunar and atrioventricular (AV) valves in the mature heart. Two NCC-specific promoters driving Cre recombinase, Wnt1-Cre and P0-Cre, were mated with floxed reporter mice, R26R or CAG-CAT-EGFP, to map NCC fate. Hearts were analyzed before aorticopulmonary (AP) septation through adult stages. As previously demonstrated, strong NCC labeling was detected in ventral and dorsal outflow cushions before AP septation. In contrast to previous reports, we found that substantial numbers of labeled cells persisted in the semilunar valves in late fetal, neonatal, and adult hearts. Furthermore, NCCs were also found in the AV valves, almost exclusively in the septal leaflets. NCCs in the AV valves expressed melanocytic and neurogenic markers. However, cells labeled in the proximal cardiac conduction system exhibited neurogenic and gliagenic markers, whereas some NCCs expressed no differentiation specific markers. These results suggest that cardiac NCCs contribute to the mature valves and the cardiac conduction system and retain multipotent characteristics late in development.

Development and structures of the venous pole of the heart

In the past, our interpretations of cardiac development depended on analysis of serially sectioned embryos, supported by three-dimensional reconstructions. It was not possible, using these techniques, to trace the fate of the various embryonic building blocks. This has all changed with the advent of the new techniques in molecular biology. Combining our experience with these new techniques and our previous studies using the classic approach, we have reviewed how the recent advances clarify controversies that still exist concerning the development of the venous pole. The arguments devolve on whether the pulmonary vein is itself a new development or whether its primordium is derived from the systemic venous tributaries, the so-called sinus venosus. The new techniques show that, rather than developing in the form of a segmented tube, the heart is built up by addition of material to both its arterial and venous poles. At no stage is it possible to recognize a discrete part of the tube that can be identified as the sinus venosus. The confluence of the systemic venous tributaries does not become recognizable as a discrete anatomic entity until compartmented into the newly formed right atrium concomitant with formation of the venous valves. The new molecular techniques show that the pulmonary vein is a new structure, anatomically and developmentally, that is derived from mediastinal myocardium. It gains its connection to the morphologically left atrium between the right- and left-sided systemic venous tributaries.

Distinct roles of HF-1b/Sp4 in ventricular and neural crest cells lineages affect cardiac conduction system development

The heterogeneous cell types of the cardiac conduction system are responsible for coordinating and maintaining rhythmic contractions of the heart. While it has been shown that the cells of the conduction system are derived from myocytes, additional cell types, including neural crest cells, may play a role in the development and maturation of these specialized cell lineages. Previous work has shown that the expression of the hf-1b gene is required for specification of the cardiac conduction system. Using Cre-Lox technology, we conditionally mutated the hf-1b gene in the ventricular and the neural crest cell lineages. Cx40 immunohistochemistry on HF-1b tissue-restricted knockouts revealed a requirement for HF-1b in the cardiomyogenic lineage. Electrophysiological studies identified a second requirement for HF-1b in the neural crest-derived cells. Absence of HF-1b in the neural crest led to atrial and atrioventricular dysfunction resulting from deficiencies in the neurotrophin receptor trkC. Therefore, in this study, we document that a single transcription factor, HF-1b, acts through two separate cell types to direct distinct functions of the cardiac conduction system.

Reference guide to the stages of chick heart embryology

Cardiac progenitors of the splanchnic mesoderm (primary and secondary heart field), cardiac neural crest, and the proepicardium are the major embryonic contributors to chick heart development. Their contribution to cardiac development occurs with precise timing and regulation during such processes as primary heart tube fusion, cardiac looping and accretion, cardiac septation, and the development of the coronary vasculature. Heart development is even more complex if one follows the development of the cardiac innervation, cardiac pacemaking and conduction system, endocardial cushions, valves, and even the importance of apoptosis for proper cardiac formation. This review is meant to provide a reference guide (Table 1) on the developmental timing according to the staging of Hamburger and Hamilton (1951) (HH) of these important topics in heart development for those individuals new to a chick heart research laboratory. Even individuals outside of the heart field, who are working on a gene that is also expressed in the heart, will gain information on what to look for during chick heart development. This reference guide provides complete and easy reference to the stages involved in heart development, as well as a global perspective of how these cardiac developmental events overlap temporally and spatially, making it a good bench top companion to the many recently written in-depth cardiac reviews of the molecular aspects of cardiac development.

The autonomic nervous system of the human heart with special reference to its origin, course, and peripheral distribution

A submacroscopic anatomical investigation of the entire autonomic cardiac nervous system, from origin to peripheral distribution, was performed by examining 36 sides of 18 adult human cadavers under a stereomicroscope. The following new results and points of discussion were obtained: (1) The superior cervical, the middle cervical, the vertebral, and the cervicothoracic (stellate) ganglia, composed of the inferior cervical and 1st thoracic ganglia, were mostly consistent among the specimens. (2) The superior, middle, and inferior cardiac nerves innervated the heart by simply following the descent of the great arteries. In contrast, the thoracic cardiac nerve in the posterior mediastinum followed a complex course because of the long distance to the middle mediastinum. (3) The actual course of the right thoracic cardiac nerve differed from that of the previous descriptions in that it ascended obliquely or ran transversely to the vertebrae, regardless of the intercostal vessels. Regarding the right thoracic cardiac nerve, two descending courses were observed: the descent of the right thoracic cardiac nerve via the azygos vein and right venous porta, and the descent of the recurrent right thoracic cardiac nerve via the aorta. (4) The cranial cardiac nerve and branch tended to distribute into the heart medially, and the caudal cardiac nerve and branch tended to distribute into the heart laterally. (5) The mixing positions (cardiac plexus) of the sympathetic cardiac nerve and the vagal cardiac branch, as well as the definitive morphology of brachial arteries with the recurrent laryngeal nerves, tended to differ on both sides. These new and detailed anatomical descriptions of the human autonomic cardiac nervous system may provide important clues regarding the morphogenesis of autonomic cardiac nerves in addition to contributing to the improvement of cardiac surgery.

Drosophila neuroblast 7-3 cell lineage: a model system for studying programmed cell death, Notch/Numb signaling, and sequential specification of ganglion mother cell identity

Cell lineage studies provide an important foundation for experimental analysis in many systems. Drosophila neural precursors (neuroblasts) sequentially generate ganglion mother cells (GMCs), which generate neurons and/or glia, but the birth order, or cell lineage, of each neuroblast is poorly understood. The best-characterized neuroblast is NB7-3, in which GMC-1 makes the EW1 serotonergic interneuron and GW motoneuron; GMC-2 makes the EW2 serotonergic interneuron and a programmed cell death; and GMC-3 gives rise to the EW3 interneuron. However, the end of this lineage has not been determined. Here, we use positively marked genetic clones, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling, mutations that affect Notch signaling, and antibody markers to further define the end of the cell lineage of NB7-3. We provide evidence that GMC-3 directly differentiates into EW3 and that the sibling neuroblast undergoes programmed cell death. Our results confirm and extend previous work on the early portion of the NB7-3 lineage (Novotny et al. [2002] Development 129:1027-1036; Lundell et al. [ 2003] Development 130:4109-4121).

Cardiac neural crest ablation alters Id2 gene expression in the developing heart

Id proteins are negative regulators of basic helix-loop-helix gene products and participate in many developmental processes. We have evaluated the expression of Id2 in the developing chick heart and found expression in the cardiac neural crest, secondary heart field, outflow tract, inflow tract, and anterior parasympathetic plexus. Cardiac neural crest ablation in the chick embryo, which causes structural defects of the cardiac outflow tract, results in a significant loss of Id2 expression in the outflow tract. Id2 is also expressed in Xenopus neural folds, branchial arches, cardiac outflow tract, inflow tract, and splanchnic mesoderm. Ablation of the premigratory neural crest in Xenopus embryos results in abnormal formation of the heart and a loss of Id2 expression in the heart and splanchnic mesoderm. This data suggests that the presence of neural crest is required for normal Id2 expression in both chick and Xenopus heart development and provides evidence that neural crest is involved in heart development in Xenopus embryos.

Cardiac neural crest of the mouse embryo: axial level of origin,migratory pathway and cell autonomy of the splotch(Sp2H) mutant effect

A sub-population of the neural crest is known to play a crucial role in development of the cardiac outflow tract. Studies in avians have mapped the complete migratory pathways taken by `cardiac' neural crest cells en route from the neural tube to the developing heart. A cardiac neural crest lineage is also known to exist in mammals, although detailed information on its axial level of origin and migratory pattern are lacking. We used focal cell labelling and orthotopic grafting, followed by whole embryo culture, to determine the spatio-temporal migratory pattern of cardiac neural crest in mouse embryos. Axial levels between the post-otic hindbrain and somite 4 contributed neural crest cells to the heart, with the neural tube opposite somite 2 being the most prolific source. Emigration of cardiac neural crest from the neural tube began at the 7-somite stage, with cells migrating in pathways dorsolateral to the somite, medial to the somite, and between somites. Subsequently, cardiac neural crest cells migrated through the peri-aortic mesenchyme, lateral to the pharynx, through pharyngeal arches 3, 4 and 6, and into the aortic sac. Colonisation of the outflow tract mesenchyme was detected at the 32-somite stage. Embryos homozygous for the Sp2H mutation show delayed onset of cardiac neural crest emigration, although the pathways of subsequent migration resembled wild type. The number of neural crest cells along the cardiac migratory pathway was significantly reduced in Sp2H/Sp2H embryos. To resolve current controversy over the cell autonomy of the splotchcardiac neural crest defect, we performed reciprocal grafts of premigratory neural crest between wild type and splotch embryos. Sp2H/Sp2H cells migrated normally in the +/+environment, and +/+ cells migrated normally in the Sp2H/Sp2H environment. In contrast, retarded migration along the cardiac route occurred when either Sp2H/+ or Sp2H/Sp2H neural crest cells were grafted into the Sp2H/Sp2Henvironment. We conclude that the retardation of cardiac neural crest migration in splotch mutant embryos requires the genetic defect in both neural crest cells and their migratory environment.

Spatiotemporally separated cardiac neural crest subpopulations that target the outflow tract septum and pharyngeal arch arteries

We used lacZ-retrovirus labeling combined with neural crest ablation in chick embryos to determine whether the cardiac neural crest cells constitute one group of multipotent cells, or they emigrate from the neural tube in time-dependent groups with different fates in the developing cardiovascular system. We demonstrated that early-migrating cardiac neural crest cells (HH9-10) massively target the aorticopulmonary septum and pharyngeal arch arteries, while the late-migrating cardiac neural crest cells (HH12) are restricted to the proximal part of the pharyngeal arch arteries. These results suggest a prominent role for early-migrating cells in outflow tract septation, and a function for late-migrating cells in pharyngeal arch artery remodeling. We demonstrated in cultures of neural tube explants an intrinsic difference between the early and late populations. However, by performing heterochronic transplantations we showed that the late-migrating cardiac neural crest cells were not developmentally restricted, and could contribute to the condensed mesenchyme of the aorticopulmonary septum when transplanted to a younger environment. Our findings on the exact timing and migratory behavior of cardiac neural crest cells will help narrow the range of factors and genes that are involved in neural crest-related congenital heart diseases.

Hypobranchial placodes in Xenopus laevis give rise to hypobranchial ganglia, a novel type of cranial ganglia

Recently, a novel type of neurogenic placode was described in anurans. These hypobranchial placodes were recognized as ectodermal thickenings situated ventral to the second and third pharyngeal pouch that give rise to neurons of unknown fate. Here, the development of hypobranchial placodes in Xenopus laevis is described in more detail using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry for various placodal ( Six1, Eya1) and neurogenic ( NGNR-1, NeuroD, Delta-1, Hu, acetylated tubulin) markers. Moreover, the fate of hypobranchial placodes was determined by analyzing tadpoles that had received orthotopic grafts of ventral branchial arch ectoderm at embryonic stages from donor embryos injected with the lineage tracer green fluorescent protein. The neurogenic epibranchial and hypobranchial placodes are shown to develop in certain subregions of a broader branchial placodal area as defined by Six1 and Eya1 expression, viz., adjacent to the dorsal and ventral tip of the pharyngeal pouches, respectively. Grafting experiments show that each of the two hypobranchial placodes gives rise to a small and previously undescribed hypobranchial ganglion (identified by its immunoreactivity for the neuron-specific Hu protein) of unknown function located in the ventral branchial arch region. No contributions of hypobranchial placodes to any other ganglia (including cardiac ganglia and the ganglia of branchiomeric nerves located dorsal to pharyngeal pouches) were found.

Initiation of apoptosis in the developing avian outflow tract myocardium

Apoptosis occurs within the cardiac outflow tract (OFT) myocardium during normal development of chick hearts. This peak of apoptosis occurs at stage 30-31 and coincides with dramatic remodeling of the OFT, suggesting that apoptosis occurs to allow proper alignment of the great vessels over their respective ventricles. The signals that initiate apoptosis in this setting are unknown. The aim of this study was to characterize the cells undergoing apoptosis in the cardiac OFT myocardium and the cells that may influence this process. Two cell populations that may initiate apoptosis of the cardiomyocytes are the cardiac neural crest (CNC) cells and epicardial cells. We examined stage 30-31 chick embryos that had undergone removal of the CNC cells or had delayed epicardial growth for alterations of apoptosis. Removal of the CNC cells did not reduce the levels or pattern of apoptosis in the OFT myocardium. In contrast, impeding the growth of the epicardium over the OFT resulted in a 57% reduction in apoptotic cells in the OFT myocardium. Analysis of the apoptotic cells within the OFT myocardium showed that as many as 92% of them expressed cardiomyocyte markers. In the quail, the endothelial marker QH1 identified a component from the epicardium, endothelial cells, in regions where apoptosis is elevated in the OFT myocardium. These results suggest that a component from the epicardium, possibly endothelial cells, is required for the initiation of apoptosis in OFT cardiomyocytes.

Distribution of antigen epitopes shared by nerves and the myocardium of the embryonic chick heart using different neuronal markers

We examined which neuronal elements and nonneuronal tissues in the embryonic myocardium are stained with antibodies traditionally used for staining nerve tissue. Furthermore, we studied whether nonneuronal myocardial staining was confined to regions determining initial nerve entry points and development of cardiac ganglia. The third focus was whether nerves preferentially distribute in regions of the conduction system. Different neuronal markers were used such as the HNK-1 antibody against neural crest and nerve tissue, Tyrosine Hydroxylase antibody (TH) against putative sympathetic nerve tissue, anti-GFAP against glia cells, antibodies against phosphorylated neurofilaments DO170, RMO270, 3A10, and RT97, and finally the antibody Snap25 against a synaptic protein. Chick embryonic hearts between stage HH25-44 where immunohistochemically evaluated. Transient HNK-1 staining in the basal region of the heart coincided with ingrowing vagal branches and crest-derived neuronal precursor cells seeding the region of the atrioventricular sulcus, suggesting a role for HNK-1 in the homing of the parasympathetic plexus. Transient TH staining was confined to regions of the atrial myocardium coincident with the localization of the few early TH-positive nerve fibers before stage HH40, whereas the second wave of TH-positive nerve fibers at HH42 was mainly localized around myocardial coronary arteries. This transient myocardial TH staining might be involved in early emergence of the catecholaminergic phenotype, while coronary arteries or blood borne factors might be involved in later differentiation. Some myocardial expression, not related with initial nerve ingrowth, using Snap25, TH, HNK-1, DO170, and RMO270 was confined to regions of the ventricular conduction system. HNK-1 is the only marker staining the region of the putative sinoatrial node. Just before hatching nerve fibers, including TH-positive nerve fibers, are uniformly distributed throughout the myocardium, without being specifically confined to regions containing the conduction system or coronary arteries.

Relationship in the chick of the developing pulmonary vein to the embryonic systemic venous sinus

Previous studies have shown that the relationship of the systemic venous sinus (sinus venosus) to the developing pulmonary vein are very similar in mice, rats, and man, with the pulmonary vein gaining access to the heart through a persisting segment of the dorsal mesocardium. It has been suggested that this process differs in avian development, with the pulmonary vein being connected to the systemic venous sinus with subsequent transfer to the left atrium. Here we have investigated the anatomical sequence of events in the chick, using serial histological sections and microdissection followed by scanning electron microscopy. We examined a temporal series of chick embryos, ranging from Hamburger and Hamilton stage 15 to stage 30. Although there are some differences in detail, the development of the pulmonary venous connections in the chick was found to be directly comparable to that already described in eutherian mammals. In both mammals and the chick, the dorsal mesocardial connection, which connects the primitive atrium to the posterior thoracic wall, forms a fixed point through which the pulmonary vein gains access to the atrial compartment of the heart, only varying if the connection itself is anomalous. The tributaries of the systemic venous sinus and the primary atrial septal structures develop around the dorsal connection.

Distribution of different regions of cardiac neural crest in the extrinsic and the intrinsic cardiac nervous system

In this study we focused upon whether different levels of postotic neural crest as well as the right and left cardiac neural crest show a segmented or mixed distribution in the extrinsic and intrinsic cardiac nervous system. Different parts of the postotic neural crest were labeled by heterospecific replacement of chick neural tube by its quail counterpart. Quail-chick chimeras (n = 21) were immunohistochemically evaluated at stage HH28+, HH29+, and between HH34-37. In another set of embryos, different regions of cardiac neural crest were tagged with a retrovirus containing the LacZ reporter gene and evaluated between HH35-37 (n = 13). The results show a difference in distribution between the right- and left-sided cardiac neural crest cells at the arterial pole and ventral cardiac plexus. In the dorsal cardiac plexus, the right and left cardiac neural crest cells mix. In general, the extrinsic and intrinsic cardiac nerves receive a lower contribution from the right cardiac neural crest compared with the left cardiac neural crest. The right-sided neural crest from the level of somite 1 seeds only the cranial part of the vagal nerve and the ventral cardiac plexus. Furthermore, the results show a nonsegmented overlapping contribution of neural crest originating from S1 to S3 to the Schwann cells of the cranial and recurrent nerves and the intrinsic cardiac plexus. Also the Schwann cells along the distal intestinal part of the vagal nerve are derived exclusively from the cardiac neural crest region. These findings and the smaller contribution of the more cranially emanating cardiac neural crest to the dorsal cardiac plexus compared with more caudal cardiac neural crest levels, suggests an initial segmented distribution of cardiac neural crest cells in the circumpharyngeal region, followed by longitudinal migration along the vagal nerve during later stages.

Contribution of the cervical sympathetic ganglia to the innervation of the pharyngeal arch arteries and the heart in the chick embryo

In the chick heart, sympathetic innervation is derived from the sympathetic neural crest (trunk neural crest arising from somite level 10-20). Since the trunk neural crest gives rise to sympathetic ganglia of their corresponding level, it suggests that the sympathetic neural crest develops into cervical ganglia 4-14. We therefore tested the hypothesis that, in addition to the first thoracic ganglia, the cervical ganglia might contribute to cardiac innervation as well. Putative sympathetic nerve connections between the cervical ganglia and the heart were demonstrated using the differentiation markers tyrosine hydroxylase and HNK-1. In addition, heterospecific transplantation (quail to chick) of the cardiac and trunk neural crest was used to study the relation between the sympathetic neural crest and the cervical ganglia. Quail cells were visualized using the quail nuclear antibody QCPN. The results by immunohistochemical study show that the superior and the middle cervical ganglia and possibly the carotid paraganglia contribute to the carotid nerve. This nerve subsequently joins the nodose ganglion of the vagal nerve via which it contributes to nerve fibers in cardiac vagal branches entering the arterial and venous pole of the heart. In addition, the carotid nerve contributes to nerve fibers connected to putative baro- and chemoreceptors in and near the wall of pharyngeal arch arteries suggesting a role of the superior and middle cervical ganglia and the paraganglia of the carotid plexus in sensory afferent innervation. The lower cervical ganglia 13 and 14 contribute predominantly to nerve branches entering the venous pole via the anterior cardinal veins. We did not observe a thoracic contribution. Heterospecific transplantation shows that the cervical ganglia 4-14 as well as the carotid paraganglia are derived from the sympathetic neural crest. The cardiac neural crest does not contribute to the neurons of the cervical ganglia. We conclude that the cervical ganglia contribute to cardiac innervation which explains the contribution of the sympathetic neural crest to the innervation of the chick heart.