Project description:The vascular tree has considerable diversity, with discrete regions having different physiologic characteristics and permeability. Of note are venules that are significantly more sensitive to pro-inflammatory cytokines than arterioles. We used microarrays to identify molecular signatures that distinguish primary human venous endothelial cells from arterial endothelial cells. We used microarrays to identify genes differentially expressed by venous vs arterial human endothelial cells.
Project description:HUVEC-FUCCI cells were used to demonstrate that different endothelial cell cycle states provide distict windows of opportunity for gene expression in response to extrinsic signals. HUVEC-FUCCI were FACS-isolated into three different cell cycle states. Peptide digests from the resulting lysates showed differentially expressed proteins among the three cell cycles. These studies show that endothelial cell cycle state determines the propensity for arterial vs. venous fate specification.
Project description:Formation and maturation of a functional blood vascular system is required for the development and maintenance of all tissues in the body. During the process of blood vessel development, primordial endothelial cells are formed and become specified toward arterial or venous fates to generate a circulatory network that provides nutrients and oxygen to, and removes metabolic waste from, all tissues. Specification of arterial and venous endothelial cells occurs in conjunction with suppression of endothelial cell cycle progression, and endothelial cell hyperproliferation is associated with potentially lethal arterial-venous malformations. However, the mechanistic role that cell cycle state plays in arterial-venous specification is unknown. Herein, studying vascular development in Cdh5-CreERT2;R26FUCCI2aR reporter mice, we find that venous and arterial endothelial cells exhibit a propensity for different cell cycle states during development and in adulthood. That is, venous endothelial cells are predominantly FUCCI-Negative, while arterial endothelial cells are enriched for the FUCCI-Red reporter. Single cell RNA sequencing analysis of developing retinal endothelial cells reveals that venous endothelial cells are enriched for the FUCCI-Negative state and BMP signaling, while arterial endothelial cells are enriched for the FUCCI-Red state and TGF-b signaling. Further transcriptional analyses and live imaging of cultured endothelial cells expressing the FUCCI reporter show that reporter-negative corresponds to an early G1 state and reporter-red corresponds to late G1 state. We find the early G1 state is essential for BMP4-induced venous gene expression, whereas late G1 state is essential for TGF-b1-induced arterial gene expression. In a mouse model of endothelial cell hyperproliferation and disrupted arterial-venous specification, pharmacological inhibition of endothelial cell cycle prevents the vascular defects. Collectively, our results show that endothelial cell cycle control plays a key role in arterial-venous network formation, and distinct cell cycle states provide distinct windows of opportunity for the molecular induction of arterial vs. venous specification.
Project description:Formation and maturation of a functional blood vascular system is required for the development and maintenance of all tissues in the body. During the process of blood vessel development, primordial endothelial cells are formed and become specified toward arterial or venous fates to generate a circulatory network that provides nutrients and oxygen to, and removes metabolic waste from, all tissues. Specification of arterial and venous endothelial cells occurs in conjunction with suppression of endothelial cell cycle progression, and endothelial cell hyperproliferation is associated with potentially lethal arterial-venous malformations. However, the mechanistic role that cell cycle state plays in arterial-venous specification is unknown. Herein, studying vascular development in Cdh5-CreERT2;R26FUCCI2aR reporter mice, we find that venous and arterial endothelial cells exhibit a propensity for different cell cycle states during development and in adulthood. That is, venous endothelial cells are predominantly FUCCI-Negative, while arterial endothelial cells are enriched for the FUCCI-Red reporter. Single cell RNA sequencing analysis of developing retinal endothelial cells reveals that venous endothelial cells are enriched for the FUCCI-Negative state and BMP signaling, while arterial endothelial cells are enriched for the FUCCI-Red state and TGF-b signaling. Further transcriptional analyses and live imaging of cultured endothelial cells expressing the FUCCI reporter show that reporter-negative corresponds to an early G1 state and reporter-red corresponds to late G1 state. We find the early G1 state is essential for BMP4-induced venous gene expression, whereas late G1 state is essential for TGF-b1-induced arterial gene expression. In a mouse model of endothelial cell hyperproliferation and disrupted arterial-venous specification, pharmacological inhibition of endothelial cell cycle prevents the vascular defects. Collectively, our results show that endothelial cell cycle control plays a key role in arterial-venous network formation, and distinct cell cycle states provide distinct windows of opportunity for the molecular induction of arterial vs. venous specification.
Project description:Arterial-venous specification of endothelial cells during vascular development requires coordination between intracellular signaling, cell cycle state, and transcription factor activity. However, the intrinsic regulatory mechanisms that govern these processes are poorly understood. To investigate this, we assessed endothelial chromatin accessibility during vascular development. Murine postnatal day (P)6 and P15 retinal endothelial cells were analyzed by single cell Assay for Transposase Accessible Chromatin (ATAC) sequencing, revealing heterogeneous accessibility of chromatin across an arterial-venous continuum. Enhancer regulatory network analysis predicted transcription factors with high activity, including Sox17. Transcription factors with differential arterial-venous activity showed dual activator and repressor functions, with many regulated by cell cycle-dependent chromatin accessibility. We validated SOX17 function in human endothelial cells, identifying that SOX17 inhibits proliferation and promotes arterial gene expression. Our findings suggest that dual roles of key endothelial transcription factors are regulated by chromatin accessibility in a cell cycle- and subtype-specific manner to control arterial-venous specification.
Project description:Arterial-venous specification of endothelial cells during vascular development requires coordination between intracellular signaling, cell cycle state, and transcription factor activity. However, the intrinsic regulatory mechanisms that govern these processes are poorly understood. To investigate this, we assessed endothelial chromatin accessibility during vascular development. Murine postnatal day (P)6 and P15 retinal endothelial cells were analyzed by single cell Assay for Transposase Accessible Chromatin (ATAC) sequencing, revealing heterogeneous accessibility of chromatin across an arterial-venous continuum. Enhancer regulatory network analysis predicted transcription factors with high activity, including Sox17. Transcription factors with differential arterial-venous activity showed dual activator and repressor functions, with many regulated by cell cycle-dependent chromatin accessibility. We validated SOX17 function in human endothelial cells, identifying that SOX17 inhibits proliferation and promotes arterial gene expression. Our findings suggest that dual roles of key endothelial transcription factors are regulated by chromatin accessibility in a cell cycle- and subtype-specific manner to control arterial-venous specification.
Project description:Arterial-venous specification of endothelial cells during vascular development requires coordination between intracellular signaling, cell cycle state, and transcription factor activity. However, the intrinsic regulatory mechanisms that govern these processes are poorly understood. To investigate this, we assessed endothelial chromatin accessibility during vascular development. Murine postnatal day (P)6 and P15 retinal endothelial cells were analyzed by single cell Assay for Transposase Accessible Chromatin (ATAC) sequencing, revealing heterogeneous accessibility of chromatin across an arterial-venous continuum. Enhancer regulatory network analysis predicted transcription factors with high activity, including Sox17. Transcription factors with differential arterial-venous activity showed dual activator and repressor functions, with many regulated by cell cycle-dependent chromatin accessibility. We validated SOX17 function in human endothelial cells, identifying that SOX17 inhibits proliferation and promotes arterial gene expression. Our findings suggest that dual roles of key endothelial transcription factors are regulated by chromatin accessibility in a cell cycle- and subtype-specific manner to control arterial-venous specification.
Project description:Arterial-venous specification of endothelial cells during vascular development requires coordination between intracellular signaling, cell cycle state, and transcription factor activity. However, the intrinsic regulatory mechanisms that govern these processes are poorly understood. To investigate this, we assessed endothelial chromatin accessibility during vascular development. Murine postnatal day (P)6 and P15 retinal endothelial cells were analyzed by single cell Assay for Transposase Accessible Chromatin (ATAC) sequencing, revealing heterogeneous accessibility of chromatin across an arterial-venous continuum. Enhancer regulatory network analysis predicted transcription factors with high activity, including Sox17. Transcription factors with differential arterial-venous activity showed dual activator and repressor functions, with many regulated by cell cycle-dependent chromatin accessibility. We validated SOX17 function in human endothelial cells, identifying that SOX17 inhibits proliferation and promotes arterial gene expression. Our findings suggest that dual roles of key endothelial transcription factors are regulated by chromatin accessibility in a cell cycle- and subtype-specific manner to control arterial-venous specification.
Project description:During embryonic vascular development, endothelial cells that line all blood vessels undergo specification into arterial, capillary, and venous subtypes to form a circulatory network. Regulation of endothelial cell cycle state has been shown to play a critical role in enabling arterial-venous specification and remodeling in a postnatal, blood flow-mediated, and tissue specific manner; however, if a similar cell cycle-mediated mechanism is a common mechanism that regulates embryonic vascular development, even prior to blood flow, is unknown. To investigate this, we first defined the emergence of distinct subtypes by isolating endothelial cells from wild type embryos at embryonic day (E)8.0, prior to blood flow; E8.5, just after flow begins; and E9.5. We performed single cell RNA sequencing and analyses, and found increased specification of arterial, venous and hemogenic subtypes over time, concomitant with decreased primordial and capillary endothelial cells. Gene Ontology analysis revealed that cell cycle control was significantly enriched over time, and we found arterial identity highly correlated with growth arrest. To gain more insight into the potential role of cell cycle control in specification, we isolated similar endothelial cells from Fucci-expressing embryos, sorted them into distinct cell cycle states (early G1, late G1 and S/G2/M), performed bulk RNA sequencing, and bioinformatically correlated endothelial cell cycle states with subtype identities. We found venous endothelial cells are highly enriched in early G1 and arterial endothelial cells highly enriched in late G1, which was corroborated with fluorescent imaging of Fucci embryos. Furthermore, we showed that endothelial cell hyperproliferation, induced by deletion of cell cycle inhibitor Cdkn1b (p27), impaired arterial-venous specification and vascular development. These results support that at the earliest stage of vascular development, endothelial cells in arterial and venous vessels reside in different cell cycle states and endothelial cell cycle control is required for their specification.
Project description:During embryonic vascular development, endothelial cells that line all blood vessels undergo specification into arterial, capillary, and venous subtypes to form a circulatory network. Regulation of endothelial cell cycle state has been shown to play a critical role in enabling arterial-venous specification and remodeling in a postnatal, blood flow-mediated, and tissue specific manner; however, if a similar cell cycle-mediated mechanism is a common mechanism that regulates embryonic vascular development, even prior to blood flow, is unknown. To investigate this, we first defined the emergence of distinct subtypes by isolating endothelial cells from wild type embryos at embryonic day (E)8.0, prior to blood flow; E8.5, just after flow begins; and E9.5. We performed single cell RNA sequencing and analyses, and found increased specification of arterial, venous and hemogenic subtypes over time, concomitant with decreased primordial and capillary endothelial cells. Gene Ontology analysis revealed that cell cycle control was significantly enriched over time, and we found arterial identity highly correlated with growth arrest. To gain more insight into the potential role of cell cycle control in specification, we isolated similar endothelial cells from Fucci-expressing embryos, sorted them into distinct cell cycle states (early G1, late G1 and S/G2/M), performed bulk RNA sequencing, and bioinformatically correlated endothelial cell cycle states with subtype identities. We found venous endothelial cells are highly enriched in early G1 and arterial endothelial cells highly enriched in late G1, which was corroborated with fluorescent imaging of Fucci embryos. Furthermore, we showed that endothelial cell hyperproliferation, induced by deletion of cell cycle inhibitor Cdkn1b (p27), impaired arterial-venous specification and vascular development. These results support that at the earliest stage of vascular development, endothelial cells in arterial and venous vessels reside in different cell cycle states and endothelial cell cycle control is required for their specification.