Still heart mutant hearts lack incorporation of Isl1-positive cells from the second heart field. At 36 hpf, immunostaining against Isl1, a marker of second heart field cardiac progenitor cells and cardiac neural crest, revealed a lack of Isl1-positive staining in the hearts of still heart mutants when compared to wild-type embryos (A–D). Although still heart mutant hearts did not display any Isl1 staining, other tissues derived from neuronal lineages, such as the trigeminal ganglion (TG), were positive for Isl1 (C,D). Still heart mutants continue to lack Isl1 staining in their hearts at 48 hpf when compared to wild-type embryos of the same age (E,F). (Ventricle = V; atrium = A; eye = E).
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