First published online March 30, 2004
Development 131, 803e (2004)
© The Company of Biologists Limited
A vital source
Platelet-derived growth factor-B (PDGFB) is necessary for microvasculature
formation, and loss of PDGFB or its receptor – PDGF receptor ß
(PDGFRß) – causes a wide range of abnormalities in mice, including
defects of the heart, kidney and placenta. The formation of functional new
vessels requires the recruitment of vascular-smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and
pericytes, both of which express PDGFRß and are thought to be primary
targets for PDGFB. Bjarnegård and co-workers
(p. 1847) have now
determined the source of PDGFB involved in this process. PDGFB is produced
from several cell types, including platelets and macrophages, but, using
Cre-lox techniques, the researchers show that it is PDGFB from the endothelium
that is crucial for pericyte recruitment. Furthermore, the phenotype of
endothelium-restricted Pdgfb knockout mice resembles diabetic
microangiopathy, prompting the authors to suggest that endothelium-restricted
PDGFB mutants could provide a useful model for vascular complications of
diabetes.
Related articles in Development:
- Endothelium-specific ablation of PDGFB leads to pericyte loss and glomerular, cardiac and placental abnormalities
- Mattias Bjarnegård, Maria Enge, Jenny Norlin, Sigrun Gustafsdottir, Simon Fredriksson, Alexandra Abramsson, Minoru Takemoto, Erika Gustafsson, Reinhard Fässler, and Christer Betsholtz
Development 2004 131: 1847-1857.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
