First published online January 16, 2004
Development 131, 305e (2004)
© The Company of Biologists Limited
Erythrocytes: a matter of life and death
The primitive erythroid (red blood cell) lineage is the first
haematopoietic lineage to arise during vertebrate embryogenesis. Vascular
endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and SCL are both important during the
establishment of the haematopoietic system, and Martin and co-workers
(p. 693) examine their
roles during early erythrocyte development. Using Vegf lo,
an allele that generates low levels of VEGF, they find that VEGF promotes the
expansion potential and lifespan of primitive erythrocyte precursors. It also
has a tight dose-dependent effect on the survival of erythrocytes in the yolk
sac; low levels of VEGF appear to result in high levels of apoptosis.
Gain-of-function SCL partly alleviates the haematopoietic defect caused by
Vegf lo, and the authors suggest that VEGF promotes
erythrocyte survival via the anti-apoptotic function of SCL. Martin et al.
also speculate that SCL could be involved in the increased expansion potential
of primitive erythrocyte precursors.
Related articles in Development:
- SCL interacts with VEGF to suppress apoptosis at the onset of hematopoiesis
- Richard Martin, Rachid Lahlil, Annette Damert, Lucile Miquerol, Andras Nagy, Gordon Keller, and Trang Hoang
Development 2004 131: 693-702.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
