Mesp1 is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor expressed transiently in early mesodermal progenitors. It participates in cardiovascular lineage specification and associated migration programmes. Lineage tracing can reveal later descendants even after Mesp1 expression stops. Temporally separated Mesp1-expressing biological populations can have different contributions, showing why a transcriptional marker must be interpreted together with developmental timing. [ref]
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