title: Visualization of vascular mural cells in developing brain using genetically labeled transgenic reporter mice.
abstract: The establishment of a fully functional blood vascular system requires elaborate angiogenic and vascular maturation events in order to fulfill organ-specific anatomical and physiological needs. Although vascular mural cells, i.e. pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells, are known to play fundamental roles during these processes, their characteristics during vascular development remain incompletely understood. In this report, we utilized transgenic reporter mice in which mural cells are genetically labeled to examine developing vascular mural cells in the central nervous system (CNS). We found platelet-derived growth factor receptor β gene ( Pdgfrb)-driven EGFP reporter expression as a suitable marker for vascular mural cells at the earliest stages of mouse brain vascularization. Furthermore, the combination of Pdgfrb and NG2 gene (Cspg4) driven reporter expression increased the specificity of brain vascular mural cell labeling at later stages. The expression of other known pericyte markers revealed time-, region- and marker-specific patterns, suggesting heterogeneity in mural cell maturation. We conclude that transgenic reporter mice provide an important tool to explore the development of CNS pericytes in health and disease.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bongnam
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.affiliation: 3 Integrated Cardio Metabolic Centre (ICMC), Karolinska Institutet, Novum, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Raschperger
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gaengel
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.|3 Integrated Cardio Metabolic Centre (ICMC), Karolinska Institutet, Novum, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Christer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Betsholtz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005260:Female; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020286:Pericytes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000235:genetics; D020797:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics; D000099216:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycan 4
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D011509:Proteoglycans; D020797:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta; D000099216:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycan 4
keywords: CNS vasculature development; mural cells; pericytes; platelet-derived growth factor receptor β; transgenic reporter mice