Reversible permeabilization of the mitochondrial membrane promotes human cardiomyocyte differentiation from embryonic stem cells

Cell death and differentiation appear to share similar cellular features. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether differentiation and mitochondrial cell death use a common pathway. We assessed the hallmarks of apoptosis during cardiomyocyte differentiation of human embryonic stem cells and found remarkable changes in P53, reactive oxygen species, apoptotic protease‐activating factor 1, poly[ADP‐ribose]polymerase 1, cellular adenosine triphosphate, and mitochondrial complex I activity. Furthermore, we observed reversible mitochondrial membrane permeabilization during cardiomyocyte differentiation accompanied by reversible loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and these changes coincided with the fluctuating patterns of cytosolic cytochrome c accumulation and subsequent caspase‐9 and ‐3/7 activation. Moreover, the use of apoptosis inhibitors (BCL2‐associated X protein [BAX] inhibitor and caspase‐3/7 inhibitor) during differentiation impaired cardiomyocyte development, resulting in substantial downregulation of T, MESP1, NKX2.5, and α‐MHC. Additionally, although the expression of specific differentiation markers (T, MESP1, NKX2.5, MEF2C, GATA4, and SOX17) was enhanced in doxorubicin‐induced human embryonic stem cells, the stemness‐specific markers (OCT4 and NANOG) showed significant downregulation. With increasing doxorubicin concentration (0.03–0.6 µM; IC50 = 0.5 µM), we observed a marked increase in the expression of mesoderm and endoderm markers. In summary, we suggest that reversible mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization promotes cardiomyocyte differentiation through an attenuated mitochondria‐mediated apoptosis‐like pathway. Mitochondria play a nonenergetic role during cardiomyocyte differentiation. An attenuated apoptosis‐like pathway promotes human embryonic stem cell–cardiomyocyte differentiation. Mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization during cardiogenic differentiation does not lead to cell death. Doxorubicin increases the expression of some stage‐specific marker genes.