Vegfa signaling promotes zebrafish intestinal vasculature development through endothelial cell migration from the posterior cardinal vein.

ABSTRACT: The mechanisms underlying organ vascularization are not well understood. The zebrafish intestinal vasculature forms early, is easily imaged using transgenic lines and in-situ hybridization, and develops in a stereotypical pattern thus making it an excellent model for investigating mechanisms of organ specific vascularization. Here, we demonstrate that the sub-intestinal vein (SIV) and supra-intestinal artery (SIA) form by a novel mechanism from angioblasts that migrate out of the posterior cardinal vein and coalesce to form the intestinal vasculature in an anterior to posterior wave with the SIA forming after the SIV. We show that vascular endothelial growth factor aa (vegfaa) is expressed in the endoderm at the site where intestinal vessels form and therefore likely provides a guidance si

SUBMITTER: Koenig AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4769896 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature