title: Interactions between mural cells and endothelial cells stabilize the developing zebrafish dorsal aorta.
abstract: Mural cells (vascular smooth muscle cells and pericytes) play an essential role in the development of the vasculature, promoting vascular quiescence and long-term vessel stabilization through their interactions with endothelial cells. However, the mechanistic details of how mural cells stabilize vessels are not fully understood. We have examined the emergence and functional role of mural cells investing the dorsal aorta during early development using the zebrafish. Consistent with previous literature, our data suggest that cells ensheathing the dorsal aorta emerge from a sub-population of cells in the adjacent sclerotome. Inhibition of mural cell recruitment to the dorsal aorta through disruption of pdgfr signaling leads to a reduced vascular basement membrane, which in turn results in enhanced dorsal aorta vessel elasticity and failure to restrict aortic diameter. Our results provide direct in vivo evidence for a functional role for mural cells in patterning and stabilization of the early vasculature through production and maintenance of the vascular basement membrane to prevent abnormal aortic expansion and elasticity.
authors.affiliation: Program in Genomics of Differentiation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Amber N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Stratman
authors.affiliation: Program in Genomics of Differentiation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Sofia A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Pezoa
authors.affiliation: Program in Genomics of Differentiation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Olivia M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Farrelly
authors.affiliation: Program in Genomics of Differentiation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Castranova
authors.affiliation: Microscopy & Imaging Core, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Louis E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Dye
authors.affiliation: Program in Genomics of Differentiation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Harwin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sidik
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Talbot
authors.affiliation: Program in Genomics of Differentiation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA flyingfish2@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Brant M
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4136-4962
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Weinstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001011:Aorta / Q000196:embryology*; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000166:cytology; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000502:physiology*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000235:genetics; D020286:Pericytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D017479:Receptors, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D017479:Receptors, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor
keywords: PDGFR signaling; Pericyte; Vascular basement membrane; Vascular smooth muscle; Zebrafish