Cellular and molecular mechanisms of FGF8 signaling in cardiac outflow tract development and remodeling

The heart is the central organ of the cardiovascular system. It pumps the oxygenrich blood to the body and the oxygen-poor blood to the lung. The correct septation of cardiac chambers and connection of blood vessels are required for normal circulation. Abnormal development during embryogenesis can result in congenital heart defects, which are the most common birth defect. Thus, understanding how the heart develops normally is important. The mechanisms and the signaling involved in heart morphogenesis have been studied extensively, but much remains unknown. This chapter will provide an overview of mouse cardiac development, known regulatory mechanisms of outflow tract remodeling and known roles of fibroblast growth factor signaling in cardiac development. I will also introduce the four projects in my thesis.