cardiac muscle tissue growth involved in heart morphogenesis

Definition

Target type: biologicalprocess

The developmental growth of cardiac muscle tissue that contributes to the shaping of the heart. [GOC:mtg_heart]

Cardiac muscle tissue growth, a fundamental process in heart morphogenesis, involves a complex interplay of signaling pathways, gene expression, and cellular interactions. It begins during embryonic development, where cardiac progenitors commit to a cardiomyocyte fate and proliferate rapidly to form the initial heart tube. As development progresses, this tube undergoes looping and chamber formation, driven by coordinated growth of distinct cardiac regions. This growth is achieved through a combination of cardiomyocyte proliferation, hypertrophy, and migration. Myocyte proliferation is crucial in the early stages, ensuring the expansion of the cardiac cell pool. As the heart matures, hypertrophy, an increase in cell size, becomes more prominent, contributing to the thickening of the heart walls and the formation of distinct chambers. Migration of cardiomyocytes allows for the precise positioning of cells within the developing heart, enabling the formation of specialized structures like valves and trabeculae. This intricate process is tightly regulated by a multitude of signaling pathways, including the Wnt, Notch, and Hedgehog pathways, which play critical roles in cell fate determination, proliferation, and differentiation. Furthermore, numerous transcription factors, such as GATA4, NKX2.5, and MEF2, control the expression of genes involved in heart development. These factors orchestrate the expression of proteins crucial for cardiomyocyte function, including contractile proteins like myosin and actin, and proteins involved in cell adhesion and signaling. The growth of cardiac muscle tissue is also influenced by extracellular matrix proteins, which provide structural support and serve as signaling cues for cardiomyocytes. Throughout this process, the heart undergoes extensive remodeling, with cells continuously interacting with each other and their environment to achieve the final, functional form of the mature organ.'
"

Proteins (1)

Compounds (16)