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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Mar 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Vet Cardiol. 2012 Feb 24;14(1):31–45. doi: 10.1016/j.jvc.2011.11.003

Figure 6.

Figure 6

Graphic overview of heart development and endothelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT). As the heart tube develops it contains three layers, an inner lining of endothelial cells, a middle separating layer of ECM referred to as cardiac jelly, and an outer layer of myocardium. As valves form, a subset of the endothelial cells undergo EMT by delaminating, differentiating, and then migrating into the cardiac jelly. Then, in a process that is poorly understood, local swellings of cardiac jelly and mesenchymal cells (cardiac cushions) undergo remodeling and form heart valves. Reprinted from Armstrong, E. J., & Bischoff, J. (2004). Heart valve development: endothelial cell signaling and differentiation. Circ Res, 95(5), 459–470 with permission from Wolters Kluwer Heath.