title: VEGF is a chemoattractant for FGF-2-stimulated neural progenitors.
abstract: Migration of undifferentiated neural progenitors is critical for the development and repair of the nervous system. However, the mechanisms and factors that regulate migration are not well understood. Here, we show that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, a major angiogenic factor, guides the directed migration of neural progenitors that do not display antigenic markers for neuron- or glia-restricted precursor cells. We demonstrate that progenitor cells express both VEGF receptor (VEGFR) 1 and VEGFR2, but signaling through VEGFR2 specifically mediates the chemotactic effect of VEGF. The expression of VEGFRs and the chemotaxis of progenitors in response to VEGF require the presence of fibroblast growth factor 2. These results demonstrate that VEGF is an attractive guidance cue for the migration of undifferentiated neural progenitors and offer a mechanistic link between neurogenesis and angiogenesis in the nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, University Medical Center, University of Geneva Medical School, 1 rue Michel Servet, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Huanxiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Laszlo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vutskits
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Pepper
authors.forename: Jozsef Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Kiss
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D015415:Biomarkers; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C467498:vascular endothelial growth factor A, rat; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2