Figure 2.

Schematic overview of epicardial behavior during development. Pro-epicardial cells migrate towards the heart and cover it to form the epicardium. When the epicardium has enveloped the heart, cells start to undergo epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). This allows the epicardial derived cells to invade into the heart and differentiate into various cell types, mainly cardiac fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, and pericytes. In addition, epicardial cells secrete paracrine factors that contribute to the development of the heart.