单细胞数字胚胎“破译”心脏发育密码

Core Insights - The research led by Southeast University has successfully constructed a three-dimensional digital embryo with single-cell precision, revealing the organ primordium determination zone (PDZ) and decoding the developmental mechanisms of the heart [1][2][3] Group 1: Research Findings - The study marks the first global construction of a digital embryo from the late primitive streak stage to the formation of organ primordia, particularly focusing on the heart [2] - The research team analyzed gene expression data from tens of thousands of cells by creating six single-cell digital embryos, each divided into 60 slices, effectively mapping the dynamic process of organ formation [2] - A unique signaling "depression" was identified at the boundary between the inner and outer layers of the embryo at 7.75 days of development, which is crucial for the formation of organ primordia [2] Group 2: Implications for Medical Research - The discovery of PDZ provides a "spatiotemporal coordinate" for tracing the origins of cardiac developmental abnormalities, which could be influenced by genetic or environmental factors during critical developmental windows [3] - The technology enables precise localization of cell groups that determine the fate of mesodermal organs, facilitating further research into how genetic mutations or environmental factors affect this process [3]