Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine (Feb 2023)

Cre-loxP-mediated genetic lineage tracing: Unraveling cell fate and origin in the developing heart

  • Tao Wang,
  • Xinzhe Chen,
  • Kai Wang,
  • Jie Ju,
  • Xue Yu,
  • Shaocong Wang,
  • Cuiyun Liu,
  • Kun Wang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2023.1085629
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10

Abstract

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The Cre-loxP-mediated genetic lineage tracing system is essential for constructing the fate mapping of single-cell progeny or cell populations. Understanding the structural hierarchy of cardiac progenitor cells facilitates unraveling cell fate and origin issues in cardiac development. Several prospective Cre-loxP-based lineage-tracing systems have been used to analyze precisely the fate determination and developmental characteristics of endocardial cells (ECs), epicardial cells, and cardiomyocytes. Therefore, emerging lineage-tracing techniques advance the study of cardiovascular-related cellular plasticity. In this review, we illustrate the principles and methods of the emerging Cre-loxP-based genetic lineage tracing technology for trajectory monitoring of distinct cell lineages in the heart. The comprehensive demonstration of the differentiation process of single-cell progeny using genetic lineage tracing technology has made outstanding contributions to cardiac development and homeostasis, providing new therapeutic strategies for tissue regeneration in congenital and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

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