Myofibrillogenesis in precardiac mesoderm explant culture.

To investigate the cardiac differentiation and the initial stages of myofibrillogenesis, chick precardiac mesoderm explants were cultured and spatiotemporal expressions of various sarcomeric cytoskeletal proteins were examined by immunofluorescence microscope. The precardiac cells differentiated and formed well organized myofibrils in culture. The myofibrillogenesis was similar to the reorganizing process of myofibrils in cultured cardiomyocytes from older embryos.