embryonic cardioblast [FBbt_00007321]

embryonic cardioblast

ID: FBbt_00007321

Embryonic precursor of a cardial cell, which forms part of the inner, contractile layer of the dorsal vessel. These cells become morphologically distinct during stage 14, when they stretch, flatten and develop dorsally directed processes (Campos-Ortega and Hartenstein, 1997). During dorsal closure, they are squeezed between the amnioserosa and epidermis, and the cardioblasts of either side meet at the dorsal midline once the amnioserosa separates from the epidermis (Campos-Ortega and Hartenstein, 1997). The dorsal vessel is formed when the lateral edges of the cardioblasts curve around ventrally to meet and interdigitate leaving a medial lumen (Campos-Ortega and Hartenstein, 1997). These cells do not finish differentiating into specialized subtypes until after larval hatching (Lehmacher et al., 2012).