title: Molecular control of endothelial cell behaviour during blood vessel morphogenesis.
abstract: The vertebrate vasculature forms an extensive branched network of blood vessels that supplies tissues with nutrients and oxygen. During vascular development, coordinated control of endothelial cell behaviour at the levels of cell migration, proliferation, polarity, differentiation and cell-cell communication is critical for functional blood vessel morphogenesis. Recent data uncover elaborate transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms that fine-tune key signalling pathways (such as the vascular endothelial growth factor and Notch pathways) to control endothelial cell behaviour during blood vessel sprouting (angiogenesis). These emerging frameworks controlling angiogenesis provide unique insights into fundamental biological processes common to other systems, such as tissue branching morphogenesis, mechanotransduction and tubulogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Program in Developmental Biology, Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA. S.P.Herbert@leeds.ac.uk
authors.forename: Shane P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Herbert
authors.forename: Didier Y R
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Stainier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000235:genetics*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A