The outermost layer of the heart, the epicardium, is an essential cell population that contributes, through epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), to the formation of different cell types and provides paracrine signals to the developing heart. Despite its quiescent state during adulthood, the adult epicardium reactivates and recapitulates many aspects of embryonic cardiogenesis in response to cardiac injury, thereby supporting cardiac tissue remodeling. Thus, the epicardium has been considered a crucial source of cell progenitors that offers an important contribution to cardiac development and injured hearts. Although several studies have provided evidence regarding cell fate determination in the epicardium, to date, it is unclear whether epicardium-derived cells (EPDCs) come from specific, and predetermined, epicardial cell subpopulations or if they are derived from a common progenitor. In recent years, different approaches have been used to study cell heterogeneity within the epicardial layer using different experimental models. However, the data generated are still insufficient with respect to revealing the complexity of this epithelial layer. In this review, we summarize the previous works documenting the cellular composition, molecular signatures, and diversity within the developing and adult epicardium.
Keywords: cardiac development; cardiac repair; epicardium; heterogeneity.