title: A systematic expression analysis implicates Plexin-B2 and its ligand Sema4C in the regulation of the vascular and endocrine system.
abstract: Plexins serve as receptors for semaphorins and play important roles in the developing nervous system. Plexin-B2 controls decisive developmental programs in the neural tube and cerebellum. However, whether Plexin-B2 also regulates biological functions in adult nonneuronal tissues is unknown. Here we show by two methodologically independent approaches that Plexin-B2 is expressed in discrete cell types of several nonneuronal tissues in the adult mouse. In the vasculature, Plexin-B2 is selectively expressed in functionally specialized endothelial cells. In endocrine organs, Plexin-B2 localizes to the pancreatic islets of Langerhans and to both cortex and medulla of the adrenal gland. Plexin-B2 expression is also detected in certain types of immune and epithelial cells. In addition, we report on a systematic comparison of the expression patterns of Plexin-B2 and its ligand Sema4C, which show complementarity or overlap in some but not all tissues. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Plexin-B2 and its family member Plexin-B1 display largely nonredundant expression patterns. This work establishes Plexin-B2 and Sema4C as potential regulators of the vascular and endocrine system and provides an anatomical basis to understand the biological functions of this ligand-receptor pair.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Department of Pharmacology, Ludwigstr. 43, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zielonka
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Roland H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Friedel
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Offermanns
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Worzfeld
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D008024:Ligands; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D039961:Semaphorins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C492118:Plxnb1 protein, mouse; C519231:Plxnb2 protein, mouse; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C119353:Sema4c protein, mouse; D039961:Semaphorins; D001616:beta-Galactosidase