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Amici SA, Dunn WA, Murphy AJ, Adams NC, Gale NW, Valenzuela DM, Yancopoulos GD, Notterpek L. Peripheral myelin protein 22 is in complex with alpha6beta4 integrin, and its absence alters the Schwann cell basal lamina. J Neurosci 2006; 26:1179-89. [PMID: 16436605 PMCID: PMC6674566 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2618-05.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22) is a tetraspan membrane glycoprotein, the misexpression of which is associated with hereditary demyelinating neuropathies. Myelinating Schwann cells (SCs) produce the highest levels of PMP22, yet the function of the protein in peripheral nerve biology is unresolved. To investigate the potential roles of PMP22, we engineered a novel knock-out (-/-) mouse line by replacing the first two coding exons of pmp22 with the lacZ reporter. PMP22-deficient mice show strong beta-galactosidase reactivity in peripheral nerves, cartilage, intestines, and lungs, whereas phenotypically they display the characteristics of tomaculous neuropathy. In the absence of PMP22, myelination of peripheral nerves is delayed, and numerous axon-SC profiles show loose basal lamina, suggesting altered interactions of the glial cells with the extracellular matrix. The levels of beta4 integrin, a molecule involved in the linkage between SCs and the basal lamina, are severely reduced in nerves of PMP22-deficient mice. During early stages of myelination, PMP22 and beta4 integrin are coexpressed at the cell surface and can be coimmunoprecipitated together with laminin and alpha6 integrin. In agreement, in clone A colonic carcinoma cells, epitope-tagged PMP22 forms a complex with beta4 integrin. Together, these data indicate that PMP22 is a binding partner in the integrin/laminin complex and is involved in mediating the interaction of SCs with the extracellular environment.
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Fiedler U, Reiss Y, Scharpfenecker M, Grunow V, Koidl S, Thurston G, Gale NW, Witzenrath M, Rosseau S, Suttorp N, Sobke A, Herrmann M, Preissner KT, Vajkoczy P, Augustin HG. Angiopoietin-2 sensitizes endothelial cells to TNF-alpha and has a crucial role in the induction of inflammation. Nat Med 2006; 12:235-9. [PMID: 16462802 DOI: 10.1038/nm1351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 691] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2005] [Accepted: 12/11/2005] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The angiopoietins Ang-1 and Ang-2 have been identified as ligands of the receptor tyrosine kinase Tie-2 (refs. 1,2). Paracrine Ang-1-mediated activation of Tie-2 acts as a regulator of vessel maturation and vascular quiescence. In turn, the antagonistic ligand Ang-2 acts by an autocrine mechanism and is stored in endothelial Weibel-Palade bodies from where it can be rapidly released upon stimulation. The rapid release of Ang-2 implies functions of the angiopoietin-Tie system beyond its established role during vascular morphogenesis as a regulator of rapid vascular responses. Here we show that mice deficient in Ang-2 (encoded by the gene Angpt2) cannot elicit an inflammatory response in thioglycollate-induced or Staphylococcus aureus-induced peritonitis, or in the dorsal skinfold chamber model. Recombinant Ang-2 restores the inflammation defect in Angpt2(-/-) mice. Intravital microscopy showed normal TNF-alpha-induced leukocyte rolling in the vasculature of Angpt2(-/-)mice, but rolling cells did not firmly adhere to activated endothelium. Cellular experiments showed that Ang-2 promotes adhesion by sensitizing endothelial cells toward TNF-alpha and modulating TNF-alpha-induced expression of endothelial cell adhesion molecules. Together, these findings identify Ang-2 as an autocrine regulator of endothelial cell inflammatory responses. Ang-2 thereby acts as a switch of vascular responsiveness exerting a permissive role for the activities of proinflammatory cytokines.
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Pitera JE, Woolf AS, Gale NW, Yancopoulos GD, Yuan HT. Dysmorphogenesis of kidney cortical peritubular capillaries in angiopoietin-2-deficient mice. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2005; 165:1895-906. [PMID: 15579434 PMCID: PMC1618709 DOI: 10.1016/s0002-9440(10)63242-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) modulates Tie-2 receptor activation. In mouse kidney maturation, Ang-2 is expressed in arteries, with lower levels in tubules, whereas Tie-2 is expressed by endothelia. We hypothesized that Ang-2 deficiency disrupts kidney vessel patterning. The normal renal cortical peritubular space contains fenestrated capillaries, which have few pericytes; they receive water and solutes which proximal tubules reclaim from the glomerular filtrate. In wild-type neonates, alpha smooth muscle actin (alpha SMA), platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFR beta), and desmin-expressing cells were not prominent in this compartment. In Ang-2 null mutants, alpha SMA, desmin, and PDGFR beta prominently immunolocalized in cortical peritubular locations. Some alpha SMA-positive cells were closely associated with CD31- and Tie-2-positive peritubular capillary endothelia, and some of the alpha SMA-positive cells expressed PDGFR beta, desmin, and neural/glial cell 2 (NG2), consistent with a pericyte-like identity. Immunoblotting suggested an increase of total and tyrosine-phosphorylated Tie-2 proteins in null mutant versus wild-type kidneys, and electron microscopy confirmed disorganized capillaries and adjacent cells in cortical peritubular spaces in mutant neonate kidneys. Hence, Ang-2 deficiency causes dysmorphogenesis of cortical peritubular capillaries, with adjacent cells expressing pericyte-like markers; we speculate the latter effect is caused by disturbed paracrine signaling between endothelial and surrounding mesenchymal precursor cells.
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Gale NW, Dominguez MG, Noguera I, Pan L, Hughes V, Valenzuela DM, Murphy AJ, Adams NC, Lin HC, Holash J, Thurston G, Yancopoulos GD. Haploinsufficiency of delta-like 4 ligand results in embryonic lethality due to major defects in arterial and vascular development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2004; 101:15949-54. [PMID: 15520367 PMCID: PMC524697 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0407290101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 487] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Vascular development depends on the highly coordinated actions of a variety of angiogenic regulators, most of which apparently act downstream of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). One potential such regulator is delta-like 4 ligand (Dll4), a recently identified partner for the Notch receptors. We generated mice in which the Dll4 gene was replaced with a reporter gene, and found that Dll4 expression is initially restricted to large arteries in the embryo, whereas in adult mice and tumor models, Dll4 is specifically expressed in smaller arteries and microvessels, with a striking break in expression just as capillaries merge into venules. Consistent with these arterial-specific expression patterns, heterozygous deletion of Dll4 resulted in prominent albeit variable defects in arterial development (reminiscent of those in Notch knockouts), including abnormal stenosis and atresia of the aorta, defective arterial branching from the aorta, and even arterial regression, with occasional extension of the defects to the venous circulation; also noted was gross enlargement of the pericardial sac and failure to remodel the yolk sac vasculature. These striking phenotypes resulting from heterozygous deletion of Dll4 indicate that vascular development may be as sensitive to subtle changes in Dll4 dosage as it is to subtle changes in VEGF dosage, because VEGF accounts for the only other example of haploid insufficiency, resulting in obvious vascular abnormalities. In summary, Dll4 appears to be a major trigger of Notch receptor activities previously implicated in arterial and vascular development, and it may represent a new opportunity for pro- and anti-angiogenic therapies.
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Thurston G, Gale NW. Vascular endothelial growth factor and other signaling pathways in developmental and pathologic angiogenesis. Int J Hematol 2004; 80:7-20. [PMID: 15293563 DOI: 10.1532/ijh97.04065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The field of angiogenesis received a huge boost in 2003 with the announcement of positive results in a phase III clinical trial using a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-blocking antibody for the treatment of cancer. Although the VEGF pathway has emerged as a central signaling pathway in normal and pathologic angiogenesis, several other pathways are also now recognized as playing essential roles. This review focuses on 2 specific areas. First, we summarize some of the work on newly discovered angiogenic signaling pathways by primarily describing the molecular biology of the pathways and the evidence for their involvement in vascular development. Second, we describe progress in therapeutic antiangiogenesis in cancer, particularly with agents that block the VEGF pathway.
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Feldheim DA, Nakamoto M, Osterfield M, Gale NW, DeChiara TM, Rohatgi R, Yancopoulos GD, Flanagan JG. Loss-of-function analysis of EphA receptors in retinotectal mapping. J Neurosci 2004; 24:2542-50. [PMID: 15014130 PMCID: PMC6729493 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0239-03.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
EphA tyrosine kinases are thought to act as topographically specific receptors in the well-characterized projection map from the retina to the tectum. Here, we describe a loss-of-function analysis of EphA receptors in retinotectal mapping. Expressing patches of a cytoplasmically truncated EphA3 receptor in chick retina caused temporal axons to have reduced responsiveness to posterior tectal repellent activity in vitro and to shift more posteriorly within the map in vivo. A gene disruption of mouse EphA5, replacing the intracellular domain with beta-galactosidase, reduced in vitro responsiveness of temporal axons to posterior target membranes. It also caused map abnormalities in vivo, with temporal axons shifted posteriorly and nasal axons anteriorly, but with the entire target still filled by retinal axons. The anterior shift of nasal axons was not accompanied by increased responsiveness to tectal repellent activity, in contrast to the comparable anterior shift in ephrin-A knock-outs, helping to resolve a previous ambiguity in interpreting the ephrin gene knock-outs. The results show the functional requirement for endogenous EphA receptors in retinotectal mapping, show that the receptor intracellular domain is required for a forward signaling response to topographic cues, and provide new evidence for a role of axon competition in topographic mapping.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Axons/metabolism
- Axons/physiology
- Chick Embryo
- Gene Targeting
- Genes, Reporter
- Genetic Vectors/administration & dosage
- Genetic Vectors/genetics
- Mice
- Mice, Mutant Strains
- Receptor, EphA3/biosynthesis
- Receptor, EphA3/genetics
- Receptor, EphA3/physiology
- Receptor, EphA5/biosynthesis
- Receptor, EphA5/genetics
- Receptor, EphA5/physiology
- Receptors, Eph Family/deficiency
- Receptors, Eph Family/genetics
- Receptors, Eph Family/physiology
- Retinal Ganglion Cells/cytology
- Retinal Ganglion Cells/metabolism
- Sequence Deletion
- Superior Colliculi/cytology
- Superior Colliculi/metabolism
- Visual Pathways/cytology
- Visual Pathways/metabolism
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Lund JM, Alexopoulou L, Sato A, Karow M, Adams NC, Gale NW, Iwasaki A, Flavell RA. Recognition of single-stranded RNA viruses by Toll-like receptor 7. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2004; 101:5598-603. [PMID: 15034168 PMCID: PMC397437 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0400937101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1354] [Impact Index Per Article: 67.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral infection of mammalian host results in the activation of innate immune responses. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have been shown to mediate the recognition of many types of pathogens, including viruses. The genomes of viruses possess unique characteristics that are not found in mammalian genomes, such as high CpG content and double-stranded RNA. These genomic nucleic acids serve as molecular signatures associated with viral infections. Here we show that TLR7 recognizes the single-stranded RNA viruses, vesicular stomatitis virus and influenza virus. The recognition of these viruses by plasmacytoid dendritic cells and B cells through TLR7 results in their activation of costimulatory molecules and production of cytokines. Moreover, this recognition required intact endocytic pathways. Mice deficient in either the TLR7 or the TLR adaptor protein MyD88 demonstrated reduced responses to in vivo infection with vesicular stomatitis virus. These results demonstrate microbial ligand recognition by TLR7 and provide insights into the pathways used by the innate immune cells in the recognition of viral pathogens.
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Williams SE, Mann F, Erskine L, Sakurai T, Wei S, Rossi DJ, Gale NW, Holt CE, Mason CA, Henkemeyer M. Ephrin-B2 and EphB1 mediate retinal axon divergence at the optic chiasm. Neuron 2003; 39:919-35. [PMID: 12971893 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2003.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 249] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
In animals with binocular vision, retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons either cross or avoid the midline at the optic chiasm. Here, we show that ephrin-Bs in the chiasm region direct the divergence of retinal axons through the selective repulsion of a subset of RGCs that express EphB1. Ephrin-B2 is expressed at the mouse chiasm midline as the ipsilateral projection is generated and is selectively inhibitory to axons from ventrotemporal (VT) retina, where ipsilaterally projecting RGCs reside. Moreover, blocking ephrin-B2 function in vitro rescues the inhibitory effect of chiasm cells and eliminates the ipsilateral projection in the semiintact mouse visual system. A receptor for ephrin-B2, EphB1, is found exclusively in regions of retina that give rise to the ipsilateral projection. EphB1 null mice exhibit a dramatically reduced ipsilateral projection, suggesting that this receptor contributes to the formation of the ipsilateral retinal projection, most likely through its repulsive interaction with ephrin-B2.
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Gale NW, Thurston G, Davis S, Wiegand SJ, Holash J, Rudge JS, Yancopoulos GD. Complementary and coordinated roles of the VEGFs and angiopoietins during normal and pathologic vascular formation. COLD SPRING HARBOR SYMPOSIA ON QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2003; 67:267-73. [PMID: 12858549 DOI: 10.1101/sqb.2002.67.267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Valenzuela DM, Murphy AJ, Frendewey D, Gale NW, Economides AN, Auerbach W, Poueymirou WT, Adams NC, Rojas J, Yasenchak J, Chernomorski R, Boucher M, Elsasser AL, Esau L, Zheng J, Griffiths J, Wang X, Su H, Xue Y, Dominguez MG, Noguera I, Torres R, Macdonald LE, Stewart AF, DeChiara TM, Yancopoulos GD. Erratum: High-throughput engineering of the mouse genome coupled with high-resolution expression analysis. Nat Biotechnol 2003. [DOI: 10.1038/nbt0703-822b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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36
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Valenzuela DM, Murphy AJ, Frendewey D, Gale NW, Economides AN, Auerbach W, Poueymirou WT, Adams NC, Rojas J, Yasenchak J, Chernomorsky R, Boucher M, Elsasser AL, Esau L, Zheng J, Griffiths JA, Wang X, Su H, Xue Y, Dominguez MG, Noguera I, Torres R, Macdonald LE, Stewart AF, DeChiara TM, Yancopoulos GD. High-throughput engineering of the mouse genome coupled with high-resolution expression analysis. Nat Biotechnol 2003; 21:652-9. [PMID: 12730667 DOI: 10.1038/nbt822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 444] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2003] [Accepted: 03/28/2003] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
One of the most effective approaches for determining gene function involves engineering mice with mutations or deletions in endogenous genes of interest. Historically, this approach has been limited by the difficulty and time required to generate such mice. We describe the development of a high-throughput and largely automated process, termed VelociGene, that uses targeting vectors based on bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs). VelociGene permits genetic alteration with nucleotide precision, is not limited by the size of desired deletions, does not depend on isogenicity or on positive-negative selection, and can precisely replace the gene of interest with a reporter that allows for high-resolution localization of target-gene expression. We describe custom genetic alterations for hundreds of genes, corresponding to about 0.5-1.0% of the entire genome. We also provide dozens of informative expression patterns involving cells in the nervous system, immune system, vasculature, skeleton, fat and other tissues.
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Bianchi LM, Dinsio K, Davoli K, Gale NW. Lac z Histochemistry and immunohistochemistry reveal ephrin-B ligand expression in the inner ear. J Histochem Cytochem 2002; 50:1641-5. [PMID: 12486086 DOI: 10.1177/002215540205001208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunostaining in transgenic mice carrying the lac z gene can be used to map gene and protein distribution in a single tissue. In this study, we examined inner ears from ephrin-B3 homozygous and ephrin-B2 heterozygous mice. Ephrin-B3 lac z expression was limited in these mice. However, immunostaining revealed ephrin-B3 throughout cochlear and vestibular regions. Immunoreactivity was absent in ephrin-B3-homozygous null mutants, demonstrating the specificity of the antibody. Ephrin-B2 lac z reactivity was detected in a limited number of cells in cochlear and vestibular regions. Different immunostaining patterns were found with different antibodies. Comparison with lac z expression indicated which antibody was specific for the transmembrane-bound ephrin-B2 ligand.
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Gale NW, Thurston G, Hackett SF, Renard R, Wang Q, McClain J, Martin C, Witte C, Witte MH, Jackson D, Suri C, Campochiaro PA, Wiegand SJ, Yancopoulos GD. Angiopoietin-2 is required for postnatal angiogenesis and lymphatic patterning, and only the latter role is rescued by Angiopoietin-1. Dev Cell 2002; 3:411-23. [PMID: 12361603 DOI: 10.1016/s1534-5807(02)00217-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 705] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
VEGF and Angiopoietin-1 requisitely collaborate during blood vessel development. While Angiopoietin-1 obligately activates its Tie2 receptor, Angiopoietin-2 can activate Tie2 on some cells, while it blocks Tie2 activation on others. Our analysis of mice lacking Angiopoietin-2 reveals that Angiopoietin-2 is dispensable for embryonic vascular development but is requisite for subsequent angiogenic remodeling. Unexpectedly, mice lacking Angiopoietin-2 also exhibit major lymphatic vessel defects. Genetic rescue with Angiopoietin-1 corrects the lymphatic, but not the angiogenesis, defects, suggesting that Angiopoietin-2 acts as a Tie2 agonist in the former setting, but as an antagonist in the latter setting. Our studies define a vascular growth factor whose primary role is in postnatal angiogenic remodeling and also demonstrate that members of the VEGF and Angiopoietin families collaborate during development of the lymphatic vasculature.
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Oike Y, Ito Y, Hamada K, Zhang XQ, Miyata K, Arai F, Inada T, Araki K, Nakagata N, Takeya M, Kisanuki YY, Yanagisawa M, Gale NW, Suda T. Regulation of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis by EphB/ephrin-B2 signaling between endothelial cells and surrounding mesenchymal cells. Blood 2002; 100:1326-33. [PMID: 12149214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing angiogenesis are only beginning to be understood, signaling through endothelial-restricted receptors, particularly receptor tyrosine kinases, has been shown to play a pivotal role in these events. Recent reports show that EphB receptor tyrosine kinases and their transmembrane-type ephrin-B2 ligands play essential roles in the embryonic vasculature. These studies suggest that cell-to-cell repellent effects due to bidirectional EphB/ephrin-B2 signaling may be crucial for vascular development, similar to the mechanism described for neuronal development. To test this hypothesis, we disrupted the precise expression pattern of EphB/ephrin-B2 in vivo by generating transgenic (CAGp-ephrin-B2 Tg) mice that express ephrin-B2 under the control of a ubiquitous and constitutive promoter, CMV enhancer-beta-actin promoter-beta-globin splicing acceptor (CAG). These mice displayed an abnormal segmental arrangement of intersomitic vessels, while such anomalies were not observed in Tie-2p-ephrin-B2 Tg mice in which ephrin-B2 was overexpressed in only vascular endothelial cells (ECs). This finding suggests that non-ECs expressing ephrin-B2 alter the migration of ECs expressing EphB receptors into the intersomitic region where ephrin-B2 expression is normally absent. CAGp-ephrin-B2 Tg mice show sudden death at neonatal stages from aortic dissecting aneurysms due to defective recruitment of vascular smooth muscle cells to the ascending aorta. EphB/ephrin-B2 signaling between endothelial cells and surrounding mesenchymal cells plays an essential role in vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, and vessel maturation.
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Kim I, Ryu YS, Kwak HJ, Ahn SY, Oh JL, Yancopoulos GD, Gale NW, Koh GY. EphB ligand, ephrinB2, suppresses the VEGF- and angiopoietin 1-induced Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in venous endothelial cells. FASEB J 2002; 16:1126-8. [PMID: 12039842 DOI: 10.1096/fj.01-0805fje] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Interaction between ephrinB2 and EphB4 in endothelial cells at the arterial-venous capillary interface is critical for proper embryonic capillary morphogenesis. However, the intracellular downstream signaling of ephrinB2-EphB in vascular endothelial cells is unknown. This study examined the effect of ephrinB2-induced activation of EphB kinases on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)- and angiopoietin-1 (Ang1)-induced Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Reverse transcriptase-polymer chain reaction results showed that HUVECs expressed three kinds of EphB kinases known to bind to ephrinB2: EphB2, EphB3, and EphB4. EphrinB2 not only increased the phosphorylation of EphB2 and EphB4 in a time-dependent manner but also increased recruitment of p120-Ras-GTPase-activating protein (p120-RasGAP) to EphB2 and EphB4. Accordingly, ephrinB2 inhibited VEGF- and Ang1-induced Ras-MAPK activities, whereas ephrinB2 did not alter VEGF-induced Flk phosphorylation or Ang1-induced Tie2 phosphorylation. Furthermore, ephrinB2 suppressed VEGF- and Ang1-induced proliferation and/or migration, which are mediated mainly through Ras/MAPK signaling cascades. From these results, we propose that ephrinB2-EphB, signaling through Ras/MAPK cascade, may be critical for proper morphogenesis of capillary endothelium through the arrest of endothelial cell proliferation and migration at the arterial-venous interface.
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Zhang XQ, Takakura N, Oike Y, Inada T, Gale NW, Yancopoulos GD, Suda T. Stromal cells expressing ephrin-B2 promote the growth and sprouting of ephrin-B2(+) endothelial cells. Blood 2001; 98:1028-37. [PMID: 11493448 DOI: 10.1182/blood.v98.4.1028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ephrin-B2 is a transmembrane ligand that is specifically expressed on arterial endothelial cells (ECs) and surrounding cells and interacts with multiple EphB class receptors. Conversely, EphB4, a specific receptor for ephrin-B2, is expressed on venous ECs, and both ephrin-B2 and EphB4 play essential roles in vascular development. The bidirectional signals between EphB4 and ephrin-B2 are thought to be specific for the interaction between arteries and veins and to regulate cell mixing and the making of particular boundaries. However, the molecular mechanism during vasculogenesis and angiogenesis remains unclear. Manipulative functional studies were performed on these proteins in an endothelial cell system. Using in vitro stromal cells (OP9 cells) and a paraaortic splanchnopleura (P-Sp) coculture system, these studies found that the stromal cells expressing ephrin-B2 promoted vascular network formation and ephrin-B2(+) EC proliferation and that they also induced the recruitment and proliferation of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA)-positive cells. Stromal cells expressing EphB4 inhibited vascular network formation, ephrin-B2(+) EC proliferation, and alpha-SMA(+) cell recruitment and proliferation. Thus, these data suggest that ephrin-B2 and EphB4 mediate reciprocal interactions between arterial and venous ECs and surrounding cells to form each characteristic vessel. (Blood. 2001;98:1028-1037)
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Kullander K, Croll SD, Zimmer M, Pan L, McClain J, Hughes V, Zabski S, DeChiara TM, Klein R, Yancopoulos GD, Gale NW. Ephrin-B3 is the midline barrier that prevents corticospinal tract axons from recrossing, allowing for unilateral motor control. Genes Dev 2001; 15:877-88. [PMID: 11297511 PMCID: PMC312668 DOI: 10.1101/gad.868901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Growing axons follow highly stereotypical pathways, guided by a variety of attractive and repulsive cues, before establishing specific connections with distant targets. A particularly well-known example that illustrates the complexity of axonal migration pathways involves the axonal projections of motor neurons located in the motor cortex. These projections take a complex route during which they first cross the midline, then form the corticospinal tract, and ultimately connect with motor neurons in the contralateral side of the spinal cord. These obligatory contralateral connections account for why one side of the brain controls movement on the opposing side of the body. The netrins and slits provide well-known midline signals that regulate axonal crossings at the midline. Herein we report that a member of the ephrin family, ephrin-B3, also plays a key role at the midline to regulate axonal crossing. In particular, we show that ephrin-B3 acts as the midline barrier that prevents corticospinal tract projections from recrossing when they enter the spinal gray matter. We report that in ephrin-B3(-/-) mice, corticospinal tract projections freely recross in the spinal gray matter, such that the motor cortex on one side of the brain now provides bilateral input to the spinal cord. This neuroanatomical abnormality in ephrin-B3(-/-) mice correlates with loss of unilateral motor control, yielding mice that simultaneously move their right and left limbs and thus have a peculiar hopping gait quite unlike the alternate step gait displayed by normal mice. The corticospinal and walking defects in ephrin-B3(-/-) mice resemble those recently reported for mice lacking the EphA4 receptor, which binds ephrin-B3 as well as other ephrins, suggesting that the binding of EphA4-bearing axonal processes to ephrin-B3 at the midline provides the repulsive signal that prevents corticospinal tract projections from recrossing the midline in the developing spinal cord.
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Gale NW, Baluk P, Pan L, Kwan M, Holash J, DeChiara TM, McDonald DM, Yancopoulos GD. Ephrin-B2 selectively marks arterial vessels and neovascularization sites in the adult, with expression in both endothelial and smooth-muscle cells. Dev Biol 2001; 230:151-60. [PMID: 11161569 DOI: 10.1006/dbio.2000.0112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 289] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their membrane-tethered ephrin ligands provide critical guidance cues at points of cell-to-cell contact. It has recently been reported that the ephrin-B2 ligand is a molecular marker for the arterial endothelium at the earliest stages of embryonic angiogenesis, while its receptor EphB4 reciprocally marks the venous endothelium. These findings suggested that ephrin-B2 and EphB4 are involved in establishing arterial versus venous identity and perhaps in anastamosing arterial and venous vessels at their junctions. By using a genetically engineered mouse in which the lacZ coding region substitutes and reports for the ephrin-B2 coding region, we demonstrate that ephrin-B2 expression continues to selectively mark arteries during later embryonic development as well as in the adult. However, as development proceeds, we find that ephrin-B2 expression progressively extends from the arterial endothelium to surrounding smooth muscle cells and to pericytes, suggesting that ephrin-B2 may play an important role during formation of the arterial muscle wall. Furthermore, although ephrin-B2 expression patterns vary in different vascular beds, it can extend into capillaries about midway between terminal arterioles and postcapillary venules, challenging the classical conception that capillaries have neither arterial nor venous identity. In adult settings of angiogenesis, as in tumors or in the female reproductive system, the endothelium of a subset of new vessels strongly expresses ephrin-B2, once again contrary to earlier views that such new vessels lack arterial/venous characteristics and derive from postcapillary venules. While earlier studies had focused on a role for ephrin-B2 during the earliest embryonic stages of arterial/venous determination, our current findings using ephrin-B2 as an arterial marker in the adult challenge prevailing views of the arterial/venous identity of quiescent as well as remodeling adult microvessels and also highlight a possible role for ephrin-B2 in the formation of the arterial muscle wall.
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Dalva MB, Takasu MA, Lin MZ, Shamah SM, Hu L, Gale NW, Greenberg ME. EphB receptors interact with NMDA receptors and regulate excitatory synapse formation. Cell 2000; 103:945-56. [PMID: 11136979 DOI: 10.1016/s0092-8674(00)00197-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 529] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
EphB receptor tyrosine kinases are enriched at synapses, suggesting that these receptors play a role in synapse formation or function. We find that EphrinB binding to EphB induces a direct interaction of EphB with NMDA-type glutamate receptors. This interaction occurs at the cell surface and is mediated by the extracellular regions of the two receptors, but does not require the kinase activity of EphB. The kinase activity of EphB may be important for subsequent steps in synapse formation, as perturbation of EphB tyrosine kinase activity affects the number of synaptic specializations that form in cultured neurons. These findings indicate that EphrinB activation of EphB promotes an association of EphB with NMDA receptors that may be critical for synapse development or function.
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Conover JC, Doetsch F, Garcia-Verdugo JM, Gale NW, Yancopoulos GD, Alvarez-Buylla A. Disruption of Eph/ephrin signaling affects migration and proliferation in the adult subventricular zone. Nat Neurosci 2000; 3:1091-7. [PMID: 11036265 DOI: 10.1038/80606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 366] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricles, the largest remaining germinal zone of the adult mammalian brain, contains an extensive network of neuroblasts migrating rostrally to the olfactory bulb. Little is known about the endogenous proliferation signals for SVZ neural stem cells or guidance cues along the migration pathway. Here we show that the receptor tyrosine kinases EphB1-3 and EphA4 and their transmembrane ligands, ephrins-B2/3, are expressed by cells of the SVZ. Electron microscopy revealed ephrin-B ligands associated with SVZ astrocytes, which function as stem cells in this germinal zone. A three-day infusion of the ectodomain of either EphB2 or ephrin-B2 into the lateral ventricle disrupted migration of neuroblasts and increased cell proliferation. These results suggest that Eph/ephrin signaling is involved in the migration of neuroblasts in the adult SVZ and in either direct or indirect regulation of cell proliferation.
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Yancopoulos GD, Davis S, Gale NW, Rudge JS, Wiegand SJ, Holash J. Vascular-specific growth factors and blood vessel formation. Nature 2000; 407:242-8. [PMID: 11001067 DOI: 10.1038/35025215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2641] [Impact Index Per Article: 110.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
A recent explosion in newly discovered vascular growth factors has coincided with exploitation of powerful new genetic approaches for studying vascular development. An emerging rule is that all of these factors must be used in perfect harmony to form functional vessels. These new findings also demand re-evaluation of therapeutic efforts aimed at regulating blood vessel growth in ischaemia, cancer and other pathological settings.
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Marcus RC, Matthews GA, Gale NW, Yancopoulos GD, Mason CA. Axon guidance in the mouse optic chiasm: retinal neurite inhibition by ephrin "A"-expressing hypothalamic cells in vitro. Dev Biol 2000; 221:132-47. [PMID: 10772797 DOI: 10.1006/dbio.2000.9660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In the mammalian visual system, retinal axons undergo temporal and spatial rearrangements as they project bilaterally to targets on the brain. Retinal axons cross the neuraxis to form the optic chiasm on the hypothalamus in a position defined by overlapping domains of regulatory gene expression. However, the downstream molecules that direct these processes remain largely unknown. Here we use a novel in vitro paradigm to study possible roles of the Eph family of receptor tyrosine kinases in chiasm formation. In vivo, Eph receptors and their ligands distribute in complex patterns in the retina and hypothalamus. In vitro, retinal axons are inhibited by reaggregates of isolated hypothalamic, but not dorsal diencephalic or cerebellar cells. Furthermore, temporal retinal neurites are more inhibited than nasal neurites by hypothalamic cells. Addition of soluble EphA5-Fc to block Eph "A" subclass interactions decreases both the inhibition and the differential response of retinal neurites by hypothalamic reaggregates. These data show that isolated hypothalamic cells elicit specific, position-dependent inhibitory responses from retinal neurites in culture. Moreover, these responses are mediated, in part, by Eph interactions. Together with the in vivo distributions, these data suggest possible roles for Eph family members in directing retinal axon growth and/or reorganization during optic chiasm formation.
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Davy A, Gale NW, Murray EW, Klinghoffer RA, Soriano P, Feuerstein C, Robbins SM. Compartmentalized signaling by GPI-anchored ephrin-A5 requires the Fyn tyrosine kinase to regulate cellular adhesion. Genes Dev 1999; 13:3125-35. [PMID: 10601038 PMCID: PMC317175 DOI: 10.1101/gad.13.23.3125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 238] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their corresponding surface-bound ligands, the ephrins, provide cues to the migration of cells and growth cones during embryonic development. Here we show that ephrin-A5, which is attached to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane by a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-anchor, induces compartmentalized signaling within a caveolae-like membrane microdomain when bound to the extracellular domain of its cognate Eph receptor. The physiological response induced by this signaling event is concomitant with a change in the cellular architecture and adhesion of the ephrin-A5-expressing cells and requires the activity of the Fyn protein tyrosine kinase. This study stresses the relevance of bidirectional signaling involving the ephrins and Eph receptors during brain development.
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Gale NW, Yancopoulos GD. Growth factors acting via endothelial cell-specific receptor tyrosine kinases: VEGFs, angiopoietins, and ephrins in vascular development. Genes Dev 1999; 13:1055-66. [PMID: 10323857 DOI: 10.1101/gad.13.9.1055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 560] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Adams RH, Wilkinson GA, Weiss C, Diella F, Gale NW, Deutsch U, Risau W, Klein R. Roles of ephrinB ligands and EphB receptors in cardiovascular development: demarcation of arterial/venous domains, vascular morphogenesis, and sprouting angiogenesis. Genes Dev 1999; 13:295-306. [PMID: 9990854 PMCID: PMC316426 DOI: 10.1101/gad.13.3.295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 740] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their cell-surface-bound ligands, the ephrins, regulate axon guidance and bundling in the developing brain, control cell migration and adhesion, and help patterning the embryo. Here we report that two ephrinB ligands and three EphB receptors are expressed in and regulate the formation of the vascular network. Mice lacking ephrinB2 and a proportion of double mutants deficient in EphB2 and EphB3 receptor signaling die in utero before embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5) because of defects in the remodeling of the embryonic vascular system. Our phenotypic analysis suggests complex interactions and multiple functions of Eph receptors and ephrins in the embryonic vasculature. Interaction between ephrinB2 on arteries and its EphB receptors on veins suggests a role in defining boundaries between arterial and venous domains. Expression of ephrinB1 by arterial and venous endothelial cells and EphB3 by veins and some arteries indicates that endothelial cell-to-cell interactions between ephrins and Eph receptors are not restricted to the border between arteries and veins. Furthermore, expression of ephrinB2 and EphB2 in mesenchyme adjacent to vessels and vascular defects in ephB2/ephB3 double mutants indicate a requirement for ephrin-Eph signaling between endothelial cells and surrounding mesenchymal cells. Finally, ephrinB ligands induce capillary sprouting in vitro with a similar efficiency as angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), demonstrating a stimulatory role of ephrins in the remodeling of the developing vascular system.
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