Cellular plasticity and diversity during heart valve epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions revealed using single-cell RNA-seq

We have generated scRNA-seq data from embryonic day (E)10.5 and E12.5 atrioventricular canals (primitive heart valves) to assess cellular diversity during the distinct epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) from endocardium and epicardium that guide the formation of valve mesenchyme. Alongside, wildtype atrioventricular canals, we generated scRNA-seq data from Sox9 conditional knockouts (Sox9fl/fl;Tie2-cre) to explore the role of SOX9 in EMT. Atrioventricular canals were microdissected from cardiac chambers and outflow tract, enriching for heart valve progenitor lineages.