Global Expression Analysis of Vasculogenesis Induction by Zebrafish Ets1-Related Protein

ABSTRACT: Signaling pathways controlling vasculogenesis and angiogenesis are still poorly understood. Zebrafish Ets1-related protein (Etsrp) which encodes an ETS domain transcription factor, evolutionary related to the mammalian ER71 protein subfamily, has been identified as a major regulator of vasculogenesis and myelopoiesis and functions at the hemangioblast stage affecting the formation of both lineages. In the absence of Etsrp, angioblasts do not migrate or differentiate while overexpression of Etsrp results in the expansion of vascular endothelial and myeloid lineages. To identify genes functioning downstream of Etsrp we performed microarray analysis of etsrp-overexpressing embryos. Etsrp RNA injected embryos and control uninjected embryos were frozen at the tailbud stage and analyzed for expression of more than 30,000 genes using Nimblegen expression arrays. Approximately 300 genes showed greater than two-fold induction in etsrp-overexpressing embryos. Scl, crl, egfl7, aqp8, fli1a, fli1b, lmo2, cdh5 were among the previously known hemangioblast or vasculature-specific genes which were strongly upregulated in Etsrp-overexpressing embryos. We isolated and characterized a number of genes that were novel or previously unassociated with the zebrafish vasculature formation. Eight of them which include angiotensin II type 2 receptor (agtr2), src homology 2 domain containing E (she), similar to mannose receptor C1 (mrc1), endothelial cell-specific adhesion molecule (esam), cdc42 guanine nucleotide exchange factor 9 (arhgef9), yes-related kinase (yrk), zinc finger protein, multitype 2b (zfpm2b/fog2b) and stabilin 2 (stab2) were specifically expressed in vascular endothelial cells during early embryonic development while keratin18 expression was localized to the myeloid cells among others. Identification of novel vasculature and myeloid-specific genes that are regulated by Etsrp will be important for dissecting molecular mechanisms that regulate vasculogenesis / angiogenesis and myelopoiesis.

ORGANISM(S): Danio rerio

PROVIDER: GSE12909 | GEO | 2009/09/01

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA110817

REPOSITORIES: GEO