EPCs express receptors for FGF and a subpopulation of CD34-expressing HSCs that specifically expresses FGFR-1 has been shown to differentiate into endothelial cells in vitro [ 71].
Human blood develops from self-renewing hematopoietic stem cells to terminal lineages and necessitates regulator and effector gene expression changes; each cell type specifically expresses a subset of genes to carry out a specific function.
In zebrafish, the central dermomyotome is adjacent to the engrailed-expressing muscle pioneer slow fibres, and specifically expresses the sdf1a gene product, which serves as a guidance cue for the migrating lateral line primordium (David et al., 2002; Svetic et al., 2007).
Interestingly, the mouse model for multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, which specifically expresses a mutation in matrilin-3, was reported to induce CRELD2 mRNA expression and other ER-stress inducible genes as the symptoms progressed [ 37].
Skin specifically expresses a higher number of receptors, secreted proteins, and transcription factors, perhaps influenced by the presence of nonkeratinocyte cell types.
In mouse embryo development, Nanog specifically expresses in the EPI, which gives rise to the future fetus, so Nanog staining can display the EPI cells (Rossant and Tam, 2009; Zernicka-Goetz et al., 2009).
