C. Hernández-‐Sánchez, P. Vázquez, FloradePablo
360
5. CONCLUSIONSANDFUTUREDIRECTIONS
Themorfological and functional diversity of animal organisms depends on
multiplemechanisms of gene regulation, especific in time and space, whichpermit
the functional utilization of related transcripts (and their protein products) in
distinct contexts along the life cycle. We have characterized the role of TH in
cardiac development, focusing in the primitive heart tube formation. In the future
wewill try todefine themechanismof dopamineactionand the receptors involved
incardiomyocytedifferentiation.
It is intriguing as well the possible role of TH in the proepicardium, a
transient structure in which we have found expression in later stages of cardiac
organogenesis. In addition, TH is expressed in themouse pancreatic primordium
since its formation.Wearenowcharacterizing theexpressionpatternof THduring
pancreas development, and the likely participation of catecholamines in
differentiation programs leading to pancreatic endocrine cells. The field of the
action of catecholamines in non-‐neural tissues development has turned out to be
muchbroader thananticipated.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank present and past members of the laboratory, especially Enrique J. de la
Rosa and Teresa Suárez, for their contribution to scientific discussions, the
background data and specific figures modified for this article. This research was
fundedby grants BFU2007-‐61055 andBFU2010-‐15868 (MINECO) toF. de Pablo.
PVis supportedbya JAE-‐DOCcontract fromtheCSIC.
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