Overexpression of GATA binding protein 4 and myocyte enhancer factor 2C induces differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into cardiac-like cells

Figure 4 Morphological changes and cardiac-specific gene expression in transfected human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells. A: Images showing human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells trasnfected with (b) GATA binding protein 4 (GATA-4), (c) myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C), and (d) GATA-4 + MEF2C, and (a) the corresponding untreated control. All images were captured at day 14 under a phase contrast microscope (scale bar: 100 μm); B: Bar diagrams showing fold change analysis of cardiac gene expression by semiquantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in the transfected cells in comparison to the control cells after 14 d of culture. Results are expressed as the mean ± SE (n = 3). Differences between groups are considered statistically significant where ^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01, and ^cP < 0.001. GATA-4: GATA binding protein 4; MEF2C: Myocyte enhancer factor 2C; MHC: Myosin heavy chain; NKX2.5: NK2 homeobox 5.