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Fig. 1. Serrate1 and Serrate2 gene expression patterns
correspond to the borders of the AVC and indicate prospective atrial and
ventricular chamber myocardium. (A-D) Stage 12-18 embryos were
hybridized with a Serrate1 antisense RNA probe. (A) Stage 12 embryos
exhibit widespread Serrate1 expression throughout the posterior heart
with the anterior boundary at the outflow tract. The posterior border stops at
the presumptive atrium and sinus venosus, but may include primitive AVC tissue
(white arrowhead). (B,C) Between stages 14 and 16 expression becomes
restricted to the common ventricle and atria with boundaries at the AVC (white
arrowheads, C). (D) At stage 18, expression is strong in the ventricles and
atria, forming distinct boundaries at both the anterior and posterior AVC
border (white arrowheads). (E-H) Stage 12-18 embryos were hybridized
with a Serrate2 antisense RNA probe. (E,F) At early stages, 12 and
14, Serrate2 is not detected in the heart. (G) Serrate2
expression becomes apparent by stage 16 at the posterior-most region of the
heart, corresponding to the distal atrium and sinus venosus (white arrowhead).
(H) By stage 18, strong Serrate2 expression is observed in the atria
and sinus venosus, overlapping that of Serrate1 (white arrowhead).
(I-L) Stage 12-18 embryos were hybridized with the AVC marker
Bmp2 for comparison with the Notch ligands. (I,J) Bmp2 is
expressed in the posterior-most region of the heart, including the primitive
AVC, atria and sinus venosus. The most anterior Bmp2 expression
appears to correspond to the posterior border of Serrate1 expression
(compare arrowheads in A,B and I,J). (J,K) Between stages 14 and 16,
Bmp2 expression is restricted to the AVC. Again, Bmp2
expression appears complementary to that of Serrate1 in the primitive
ventricle, and to both Serrate1 and Serrate2 in the atria
(compare arrowheads in K with C,G). (L) Bmp2 mRNA persists in the
AVC. (M-Q) Immunostaining against Notch2. (M) Notch2 is first detected
in the linear heart tube in small patches in the ventral primitive ventricle
and at the junction of the two horns of the primitive atria (white
arrowheads). (N-Q) By Stage 12, Notch2 is present throughout the myocardium,
where it remains at all stages examined. a, atrial region; avc,
atrioventricular canal; ot, outflow tract; v, ventricular region.