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Fig. 7 nkx genes are necessary to establish sufficient ventricular cell number during cardiac chamber formation. (A,B) Immunofluorescence indicates that both chambers express the transgene Tg(cmlc2:DsRed2-nuc) (red), facilitating cardiomyocyte counting at 52 hpf. Atria are labeled with the anti-Amhc antibody, S46 (green). Hearts are flattened with a cover slip to improve visualization of cardiomyocyte nuclei. (C) Quantification of cardiomyocyte nuclei in wild-type (n = 10) and nkx-deficient (n = 13) embryos reveals a statistically significant increase in atrial cell number in nkx-deficient embryos (p < 0.001, Student's t-test) and a statistically significant decrease in ventricular cell number in nkx-deficient embryos (p < 0.001, Student's t-test). Bar graph indicates mean and standard error of each data set; asterisks indicate statistically significant differences from wild-type.
Reprinted from Developmental Biology, 322(2), Targoff, K.L., Schell, T., and Yelon, D., Nkx genes regulate heart tube extension and exert differential effects on ventricular and atrial cell number, 314-321, Copyright (2008) with permission from Elsevier. Full text @ Dev. Biol.