Notch signaling functions in retinal pericyte survival.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Pericytes, the vascular cells that constitute the outer layer of capillaries, have been shown to have a crucial role in vascular development and stability. Loss of pericytes precedes endothelial cell dysfunction and vascular degeneration in small-vessel diseases, including diabetic retinopathy. Despite their clinical relevance, the cellular pathways controlling survival of retinal pericytes remain largely uncharacterized. Therefore, we investigated the role of Notch signaling, a master regulator of cell fate decisions, in retinal pericyte survival.

Methods

A coculture system of ligand-dependent Notch signaling was developed using primary cultured retinal pericytes and a mesenchymal cell line derived from an inducible mouse model expressing the Delta-like 1 Notch liga

SUBMITTER: Arboleda-Velasquez JF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4139112 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature