title: Biology of the apelin-APJ axis in vascular formation.
abstract: Apelin is a bioactive peptide with diverse physiological actions on many tissues mediated by its interaction with its specific receptor APJ. Since the identification of apelin and APJ in 1998, pleiotropic roles of the apelin/APJ system have been elucidated in different tissues and organs, including modulation of the cardiovascular system, fluid homeostasis, metabolic pathway and vascular formation. In blood vessels, apelin and APJ expression are spatiotemporally regulated in endothelial cells (ECs) during angiogenesis. In vitro analysis revealed that the apelin/APJ system regulates angiogenesis by the induction of proliferation, migration and cord formation of cultured ECs. Moreover, apelin seems to stabilize cell-cell junctions of ECs. In addition, genetically engineered mouse models suggest that apelin/APJ regulates vascular stabilization and maturation in physiological and pathological angiogenesis. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the apelin/APJ system for vascular formation and maturation.
authors: Department of Signal Transduction, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. kidoya@biken.osaka-u.ac.jp
authors: Hiroyasu
authors: H
authors: Kidoya
authors: Nobuyuki
authors: N
authors: Takakura
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines; D000818:Animals; D000073861:Apelin; D000075244:Apelin Receptors; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000254:growth & development*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C115436:APLN protein, human; C104575:APLNR protein, human; D054392:Adipokines; D000073861:Apelin; D000075244:Apelin Receptors; C402826:Apln protein, mouse; C491285:Aplnr protein, mouse; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled