Sonic hedgehog is required for vascular outgrowth in the hindbrain choroid plexus.

ABSTRACT: Critical to the exchange and metabolic functions served by tissues like brain choroid plexi and lung is the coherent development of an epithelial sheet of large surface area in tight apposition to an extensive vascular bed. Here, we present functional experiments in the mouse demonstrating that Sonic hedgehog (Shh) produced by hindbrain choroid plexus epithelium induces the extensive vascular outgrowths and vascular surface area fundamental to choroid plexus functions, but does not induce the more specialized endothelial cell features of fenestrations and bore size. Our findings indicate that these Shh-dependent vascular elaborations occur even in the presence of Vegf and other established angiogenic factors, suggesting either that the levels of these factors are inadequate in the absence

SUBMITTER: Nielsen CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2897143 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature