Lack of primary cilia primes shear-induced endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Primary cilia are cellular protrusions that serve as mechanosensors for fluid flow. In endothelial cells (ECs), they function by transducing local blood flow information into functional responses, such as nitric oxide production and initiation of gene expression. Cilia are present on ECs in areas of low or disturbed flow and absent in areas of high flow. In the embryonic heart, high-flow regime applies to the endocardial cushion area, and the absence of cilia here coincides with the process of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT).

Objective

In this study, we investigated the role of the primary cilium in defining the responses of ECs to fluid shear stress and in EndoMT.

Methods and results

Nonciliated mouse embryonic ECs with a mutation in Tg737/If

SUBMITTER: Egorova AD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3094764 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature