title: Norrin expression in endothelial cells in the developing mouse retina.
abstract: Norrin, a protein that acts on Frizzled-4 receptor, participates in angiogenesis in a variety of contexts through the Wnt-signaling pathway. Specifically, Norrin is found to play a crucial role in retinal vascularization. Norrin's pivotal role in angiogenesis led us to investigate its expression and the primary source in the developing retina. In this study we demonstrate, for the first time, that Norrin protein is expressed along the retinal blood vessels. The expression of Norrin coincided with the pattern of vascular growth in the developing mouse retina, and its expression was identified from the endothelial cells of the retinal capillaries. Furthermore, Norrin was also expressed on endothelial cells of the developing human retina. Given that Norrin is crucial in the normal development and maintenance of ocular capillaries, our finding provides a hint of the involvement of Norrin in the self generative and protective mechanism of the endothelial cells in the developing retina.
authors.affiliation: Fight against Angiogenesis-Related Blindness (FARB) Laboratory, Clinical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hanjae
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.forename: Jin Hyoung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jeong Hun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D047109:Fetal Development; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000502:physiology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012160:Retina / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005136:Eye Proteins; C489916:Ndph protein, mouse; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins