ETS family protein ETV2 is required for initiation of the endothelial lineage but not the hematopoietic lineage in the Xenopus embryo.
Transcription factors of the ETS family are important regulators of endothelial and hematopoietic development. We have characterized the Xenopus orthologue of the ETS transcription factor, ETV2. Expression analysis shows that etv2 is highly expressed in hematopoietic and endothelial precursor cells in the Xenopus embryo. In gain-of-function experiments, ETV2 is sufficient to activate ectopic expression of vascular endothelial markers. In addition, ETV2 activated expression of hematopoietic genes representing the myeloid but not the erythroid lineage. Loss-of-function studies indicate that ETV2 is required for expression of all endothelial markers examined. However, knockdown of ETV2 has no detectable effects on expression of either myeloid or erythroid markers. This contrasts with studies in mouse and zebrafish where ETV2 is required for development of the myeloid lineage. Our studies confirm an essential role for ETV2 in endothelial development, but also reveal important differences in hematopoietic development between organisms.
Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724, USA.
Matthew C
MC
Salanga
Stryder M
SM
Meadows
Candace T
CT
Myers
Paul A
PA
Krieg
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000235:genetics*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000502:physiology; D006410:Hematopoiesis / Q000235:genetics; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000235:genetics; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017385:Sequence Homology; D014981:Xenopus / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics
D005819:Genetic Markers; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets