Duplicate VegfA genes and orthologues of the KDR receptor tyrosine kinase family mediate vascular development in the zebrafish.

ABSTRACT: Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and the type III receptor tyrosine kinase receptors (RTKs) are both required for the differentiation of endothelial cells (vasculogenesis) and for the sprouting of new capillaries (angiogenesis). We have isolated a duplicated zebrafish VegfA locus, termed VegfAb, and a duplicate RTK locus with homology to KDR/FLK1 (named Kdrb). Morpholino-disrupted VegfAb embryos develop a normal circulatory system until approximately 2 to 3 days after fertilization (dpf), when defects in angiogenesis permit blood to extravasate into many tissues. Unlike the VegfAa(121) and VegfAa(165) isoforms, the VegfAb isoforms VegfAb(171) and VegfAb(210) are not normally secreted when expressed in mammalian tissue culture cells. The Kdrb locus encodes a 1361-amino acid tran

SUBMITTER: Bahary N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2077312 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature