Regulation of vascular functions by bi-directional signaling between endothelial cells and pericytes

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26670107
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General physiology
• Research Institution: National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute
• Principal Investigator: FUKUHARA SHIGETOMO 国立研究開発法人国立循環器病研究センター, 研究所, 室長 (70332880)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: ペリサイト / 血管内皮細胞 / シグナル / 壁細胞 / 血管機能

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we investigated the mechanism by which mural cells (MCs) such as pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells develop and cover endothelial cells (ECs) to regulate vascular stability and homeostasis by generating transgenic zebrafish lines that allow live imaging of MCs and by lineage tracing in vivo. MCs developed around the preformed arterial EC tubes possibly by arterial EC-derived signal. Subsequently, these nascent MCs actively proliferated and migrated along the EC tubes to cover entire vessels in response to platelet-derived growth factor signaling. The MCs covering the cranial vessels were derived from either neural crest cells or mesoderm, while those covering the vessels in the trunk were derived from mesoderm. Thus, live imaging and lineage tracing successfully enabled us to clarify precisely how MCs cover the EC tubes and to identify the origins of MCs.

Free Research Field

血管細胞生物学