Pulmonary vein, dorsal atrial wall and atrial septum abnormalities in podoplanin knockout mice with disturbed posterior heart field contribution.

The developing sinus venosus myocardium, derived from the posterior heart field, contributes to the atrial septum, the posterior atrial wall, the sino-atrial node, and myocardium lining the pulmonary and cardinal veins, all expressing podoplanin, a coelomic and myocardial marker. We compared development and differentiation of the myocardium and vascular wall of the pulmonary veins (PV), left atrial dorsal wall, and atrial septum in wild type with podoplanin knockout mouse embryos (E10.5-E18.5) by 3D reconstruction and immunohistochemistry. Expression of Nkx2.5 in the pulmonary venous myocardium changes from mosaic to positive during development pointing out a high proliferative rate compared with Nkx2.5 negative myocardium of the sino-atrial node and cardinal veins. In mutants, myocardium of the PVs, dorsal atrial wall and atrial septum was hypoplastic. The atrial septum and right-sided wall of the PV almost lacked interposed mesenchyme. Extension of smooth muscle cells into the left atrial body was diminished. We conclude that myocardium of the PVs, dorsal atrial wall, and atrial septum, as well as the smooth muscle cells, are derived from the posterior heart field regulated by podoplanin.