Impact of BMP and WNT signaling modulation on mesendoderm progenitor cells specification from hPSCs in 3D culture conditions

We report a bulk RNA sequencing analysis of a population containing different mesendoderm progenitor cells derived from hiPSCs in 3D environment. Specifically, 3D aggregates of hPSCs were differentiated into cardiac progenitor cells through WNT signaling activation from day 0 to day 1 and WNT signaling inhibition from day 3 to day 5 of differentiation, which allowed further efficient and reproducible specification into hiPSC-derived CMs. This represents the control protocol from which samples from D3 (D3N) and D5 (D5N) were collected. Additionally, adaptation of this control protocol by performing WNT and BMP signalling pathways activation from day 3 to day 5 of differentiation, allowed the modulation of the progenitor cells population to a more posterior splanchnic mesoderm which favours further specification of those progenitors into hiPSC-derived pro-epicardium/septum transversum cells. This represents the CB protocol from where samples from D3 (D3CB) and D5 (D5CB) were collected. Samples were collected from mesendoderm progenitor cell populations derived from hiPSC at day 3 (D3) and day 5 (D5) of differentiation, for the control (N) and for the adpted (CB) protocol, for bulk RNA-seq analysis. These samples were entitled D3N, D5N, D3CB and D5CB. Three biological replicates were obtained for each time point. Deep sequencing was performed in the Illumina platform.