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Expression of VE‐cadherin in zebrafish embryos: A new tool to evaluate vascular development
Author(s) -
Larson Jon D.,
Wadman Shan A.,
Chen Eleanor,
Kerley Lesa,
Clark Karl J.,
Eide Mark,
Lippert Sarah,
Nasevicius Aidas,
Ekker Stephen C.,
Hackett Perry B.,
Essner Jeffrey J.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
developmental dynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.634
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1097-0177
pISSN - 1058-8388
DOI - 10.1002/dvdy.20102
Subject(s) - zebrafish , biology , morpholino , angiogenesis , vasculogenesis , gene knockdown , in situ hybridization , microbiology and biotechnology , vascular endothelial growth factor , embryo , cadherin , gene expression , gene , genetics , cancer research , vegf receptors , cell , stem cell , progenitor cell
We have identified the zebrafish homologue of VE‐cadherin and documented its expression in the developing vascular system. The zebrafish VE‐cadherin gene is specifically expressed in the vascular endothelial cell lineage beginning with the differentiation and migration of angioblasts and persists throughout vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, and endocardium development. Staining zebrafish embryos by whole‐mount in situ hybridization with the VE‐cadherin probe provides a method to screen embryos for vascular defects. To illustrate this utility, we used VE‐cadherin expression to demonstrate a conservation of vascular endothelial growth factor‐A (VEGF‐A) function. The morpholino antisense oligonucleotide knockdown of VEGF‐A function in zebrafish embryos results in a loss of angiogenic blood vessels, as indicated by the lack of VE‐cadherin expression in the intersegmental vasculature. This loss can be restored in embryos supplemented with either zebrafish or human VEGF‐A, the latter indicating that genes crucial to angiogenesis have highly conserved functional activities in vertebrates. Developmental Dynamics 231:204–213, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.