Ankrd17, an ubiquitously expressed ankyrin factor, is essential for the vascular integrity during embryogenesis.
Ankyrin repeat domain 17 (Ankrd17) encodes an ubiquitously expressed protein with two clusters of ankyrin repeats. We have used gene targeting strategy to ablate the Ankrd17 gene in mouse. The Ankrd17-deficient mice died between embryonic day (E) 10.5 and E11.5 due to cardiovascular defects. Serious hemorrhages were detected and the vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs) surrounding the vessels were drastically reduced in the Ankrd17-deficient embryos, suggesting that the vascular maturation was not completed. Interestingly, vSMC differentiation marker genes were up-regulated in the mutant embryos. Our data have demonstrated the indispensability of Ankrd17 functioning for vascular maturation during early development. The Ankrd17-deficient mice also provide a new animal model for the analysis of the regulatory pathways of the differentiation of vSMC precursor cells.
Hou
Shin-Chen
SC
Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Chan
Li-Wei
LW
Chou
Yu-Chi
YC
Su
Ching-Yuan
CY
Chen
Xin
X
Shih
Yen-Ling
YL
Tsai
Pei-Chun
PC
Shen
C-K James
CK
Yan
Yu-Ting
YT
D000818:Animals; D017487:Ankyrins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018390:Gene Targeting; D006470:Hemorrhage; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins
C426849:Ankrd17 protein, mouse; D017487:Ankyrins; D011506:Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins