title: Investigating expression profiles of VEGF-Flk, and Angpt1 during development of gas glands in Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica).
abstract: Angiogenesis is a highly regulated physiological process in animals. Angiopoietin-1 (Angpt1) induces the signaling pathways related to vessel maturation in late phase of angiogenesis, which recruits pericyte supplements to make compact interaction with vessel tubes. There are only few data showing Angpt1 functions in fish. By using degenerate primers, partial sequence (812 bp) of Angpt1 was cloned from Anguilla japonica, and deduced amino acids showed 80% similarity to those of zebrafish. Physiological functions of cloned eel Angpt1 were studied by in vitro and in vivo manipulations with gas glands (rete mirabile) taken as the tested target tissues. RT-PCR and immunofluorescent staining techniques were performed to examine the expression patterns of Angpt1 as well as VEGF-Flk. Experimental data showed that, in vitro, bFGF, PPAR beta agonist, and estradiol affected Angpt1 expression; while cobalt ions, a VEGF expression-inducer, did not affect Angpt1 expression. In vivo, expression levels of Angpt1 increased with body growth. Furthermore, Angpt1 expressions increased significantly in the late stage of gas glands in the stimulated eel. Successive expression patterns on VEGF-Flk, and Angpt1 on different development stages of gas glands were observed. Our results suggest that the original function of angiopoietin-1 on angiogenesis is conserved during evolution.
authors: Department of Life Science, National University of Kaohsiung No.700, Kaohsiung University Road, Nan Tzu Dist., 811 Kaohsiung, Taiwan. yshuang@nuk.edu.tw
authors: Yung-Sen
authors: YS
authors: Huang
authors: Chen-Wei
authors: CW
authors: Chang
authors: Ya-Mei
authors: YM
authors: Chen
authors: Yan-Horn
authors: YH
authors: Lee
authors: Ming-Chun
authors: MC
authors: Chen
authors: Neng-Lang
authors: NL
authors: Shih
mesh_terms: D042683:Angiopoietin-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000811:Anguilla / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics*; D000825:Animal Structures / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D002397:Catfishes; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003035:Cobalt / Q000494:pharmacology; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D047492:Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors / Q000819:agonists; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014020:Tissue Extracts; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D042683:Angiopoietin-1; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D007328:Insulin; D047492:Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors; D014020:Tissue Extracts; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D003035:Cobalt; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2