Notch3 establishes brain vascular integrity by regulating pericyte number.

ABSTRACT: Brain pericytes are important regulators of brain vascular integrity, permeability and blood flow. Deficiencies of brain pericytes are associated with neonatal intracranial hemorrhage in human fetuses, as well as stroke and neurodegeneration in adults. Despite the important functions of brain pericytes, the mechanisms underlying their development are not well understood and little is known about how pericyte density is regulated across the brain. The Notch signaling pathway has been implicated in pericyte development, but its exact roles remain ill defined. Here, we report an investigation of the Notch3 receptor using zebrafish as a model system. We show that zebrafish brain pericytes express notch3 and that notch3 mutant zebrafish have a deficit of brain pericytes and impaired blood-brain

SUBMITTER: Wang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3879812 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature