Skip to main content
. 2016 Jan 19;11(1):e0146806. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146806

Fig 5. Proposed Hhex-Vegf Hepatic Regulatory Pathway.

Fig 5

Hhex and Vegf signaling modulate the commitment of DE cells toward the HE lineage. A) The addition of VEGFA protein to Hhex+/+ HE cells facilitated HE differentiation as indicated by increased hepatic gene marker expression (black bars). Similar results were seen with the reduction of VEGF signaling in Hhex-/- DE cells cultured in HE media (white bars). B) The reduction of Hhex using siRNA in Hhex+/+ HE cells resulted in decreased expression of hepatic gene markers and increased Vegfa expression. C) Comparative qPCR analysis for the expression of hepatic markers during the stages of mouse embryonic hepatic expansion, E11.5-E13.5. Hepatic markers change similarly in vivo when compared to the results obtained from the in vivo differentiation from ESC in the current report. D) We propose an Hhex-regulated model of HE specification whereby Hhex is necessary for the expression of hepatic genes, in part, via reducing/regulating Vegf signaling. (* = p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001).