Modulation of sarcomere organization during embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte differentiation

Mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, when cultivated as embryoid bodies, differentiate in vitro into cardiomyocytes of ventricles atrium- and pacemaker-like cell types characterized by developmentally controlled expression of cardiac-specific genes, structural proteins and ion channels, Using this model system, we show here, (1) that during cardiac myofibrillogenesis sarcomeric proteins are organized in a developmentally regulated manner following the order: titin (Z-disk), alpha-actinin, myomesin, titin (M-band), myosin heavy chain, alpha-actin, cardiac troponin T and M-protein, recapitulating the sarcomeric organization in the chicken embryonal heart in vivo. Our data support the view that the formation of I-Z-I complexes is developmentally delayed with respect to A-band assembly. We show (2) that the process of cardiogenic differentiation in vitro is influenced by medium components: Using a culture medium supplemented with glucose, amino acids, vitamins and selenium ions, we were able to increase the efficiency of cardiac differentiation of wildtype, as well as of beta(1) integrin-deficient (beta(1)-/-) ES cells, and to improve the degree of organization of sarcomeric structures in wild-type and in beta(1)-/- cardiac cells, The data demonstrate the plasticity of cardiogenesis during the differentiation of wild-type and of genetically modified ES cells.