Table 1.

Transcription factor expression and function in epicardial development (see text for details and references).

Gene	Loss-of-function cardiac phenotype a	Known downstream targets expressed in EPDCs	References
Wt1	Ventricular non-compaction; impaired epicardial EMT; impaired coronary plexus formation; pericardial hemorrhaging; die by E13.5	Itga4, Nestin, TrkB, Coronin1B, Raldh2, Snai1, Snai2	[11,12,37–43]
Tbx18	Caval vein defects; sinus horn myocardial hypoplasia; neonatal lethality	Snai2	[40,74,75]
Tcf21	Aberrant smooth muscle differentiation; loss of cardiac fibroblasts; pericardial hemorrhaging; neonatal lethality	None identified	[8,13,57]
Nfatc1	bReduced cardiac fibrous matrix with decreased coronary vessel penetration; neonatal lethality	Ctsk	[9,87,88]
Snai1	b,cPhenotypically normal and viable	E-cadherin, Mmp15	[92,93,96,97]
Snai2	Phenotypically normal and viable	None identified	[40]
Sox9	Hypoplastic endocardial cushions. Embryonic lethality at E11.5–E12 due to congestive heart failure.	None identified	[102,104,108]
Scleraxis	Thickened valves; viable	Col1a2	[106,107]
C/EBP	dImproved cardiac function after ischemia/reperfusion injury	Raldh2, Wt1	[32]
Hand2	eEpicardial blistering; abnormal coronary vessel development; loss of cardiac fibroblasts; persistent truncus arteriosus. Embryonic lethality by E14.5.	Pdgfra	[101]
Twist1	Abnormal outflow tract endocardial cushion mesenchyme. Embryonic lethality by E11.5.	Tbx20, Snai2	[30,76,100]

^aDescribed phenotypes are due to knockout mouse models, except in cases of epicardial-specific gene deletion, as indicated; Gene (floxed allele) was deleted from the

^bWt1Cre,

^cTbx18Cre, or

^eHand1Cre lineages, as indicated;

^dAntisense adenoviral-mediated knockdown.