Fig 1: Contribution of Myofibroblasts (Myofb), Matrifibrocytes (MFCs), and Late Response Fibroblasts (LR) to Ventricular Remodeling Post-MI(A) knn SPRING visualization of the Myofb cluster identified from analysis of the stromal aggregate across 7 time points (PC24, resolution 0.5), colored by time and by the expression of early Myofb marker genes (Acta2, Tnc, Cthrc1, light blue) and MFC marker genes (Sfrp2, Clu, Ecrg4, Comp, Wisp2, Thsb4).(B and C) Confocal imaging of adult hearts from Col1a1eGFP mice, used as a genetic marker for stromal cells. (B) Myofb markers CTHRC1 (red) and ACTA2 (white) and (C) MFC markers SFRP2 (red) and CLU (white) at different time points post-MI.(D) qPCR validation of additional Myofb (light blue), MFC (dark blue), and LR (olive green) markers on live nucleated stromal cells (PI-, DRAQ5+, EGFP+) sorted from Col1a1eGFP transgenic hearts. Scar or distal areas were dissected and separately processed for sorting from control (n = 3) or d5 (n = 3) and d14 (n = 3) post-MI ventricular tissue.Data are summarized as box and whisker plots, indicating the median value (black bar inside box), 25th and 75th percentiles (bottom and top of box, respectively), and minimum and maximum values (bottom and top whisker, respectively). Statistical significance (*p < 0.05, ?p < 0.001, #p < 0.0001) was calculated per each gene by two-tailed unequal variance Student’s t test between sample (distal d5, distal d14, scar d5) and correspondent reference used for normalization (distal d0, scar d14). Scale bars, 50 µm.See also Figure S4 and Tables S3 and S4.