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Altered VEGF Signaling Leads to Defects in Heart Tube Elongation and Omphalomesenteric Vein Fusion in Quail Embryos
Author(s) -
Aleksandrova Anastasiia,
Filla Michael B.,
Kosa Edina,
Little Charles D.,
Petersen Alan,
Rongish Brenda J.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
the anatomical record
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.678
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1932-8494
pISSN - 1932-8486
DOI - 10.1002/ar.23948
Subject(s) - dorsal aorta , heart development , biology , vascular endothelial growth factor , anatomy , angiogenesis , microbiology and biotechnology , quail , medicine , morphogenesis , endocrinology , embryonic stem cell , cancer research , stem cell , vegf receptors , haematopoiesis , biochemistry , gene
Formation of the endocardial and myocardial heart tubes involves precise cardiac progenitor sorting and tissue displacements from the primary heart field to the embryonic midline—a process that is dependent on proper formation of conjoining great vessels, including the omphalomesenteric veins (OVs) and dorsal aortae. Using a combination of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) over‐ and under‐activation, fluorescence labeling of cardiac progenitors (endocardial and myocardial), and time‐lapse imaging, we show that altering VEGF signaling results in previously unreported myocardial, in addition to vascular and endocardial phenotypes. Resultant data show: (1) exogenous VEGF leads to truncated endocardial and myocardial heart tubes and grossly dilated OVs; (2) decreased levels of VEGF receptor 2 tyrosine kinase signaling result in a severe abrogation of the endocardial tube, dorsal aortae, and OVs. Surprisingly, only slightly altered myocardial tube fusion and morphogenesis is observed. We conclude that VEGF has direct effects on the VEGF receptor 2‐bearing endocardial and endothelial precursors, and that altered vascular morphology of the OVs also indirectly results in altered myocardial tube formation. Anat Rec, 302:175–185, 2019. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.