title: Patterning mechanisms of the sub-intestinal venous plexus in zebrafish.
abstract: Despite considerable interest in angiogenesis, organ-specific angiogenesis remains less well characterized. The vessels that absorb nutrients from the yolk and later provide blood supply to the developing digestive system are primarily venous in origin. In zebrafish, these are the vessels of the Sub-intestinal venous plexus (SIVP) and they represent a new candidate model to gain an insight into the mechanisms of venous angiogenesis. Unlike other vessel beds in zebrafish, the SIVP is not stereotypically patterned and lacks obvious sources of patterning information. However, by examining the area of vessel coverage, number of compartments, proliferation and migration speed we have identified common developmental steps in SIVP formation. We applied our analysis of SIVP development to obd mutants that have a mutation in the guidance receptor PlexinD1. obd mutants show dysregulation of nearly all parameters of SIVP formation. We show that the SIVP responds to a unique combination of pathways that control both arterial and venous growth in other systems. Blocking Shh, Notch and Pdgf signaling has no effect on SIVP growth. However Vegf promotes sprouting of the predominantly venous plexus and Bmp promotes outgrowth of the structure. We propose that the SIVP is a unique model to understand novel mechanisms utilized in organ-specific angiogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 4N1.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 4N1. Electronic address: schilds@ucalgary.ca.
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Childs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D007422:Intestines / Q000098:blood supply*; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D015398:Signal Transduction; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D014680:Veins / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000196:embryology*; D014816:Vitelline Duct / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000196:embryology; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology*; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
keywords: Bmp; PlexinD1; Sub-intestinal venous plexus; Vegf; Vein; Zebrafish