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Updated: Aug 8, 2026
09:04
A Simple Bioassay for the Evaluation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
Published on: March 15, 2016
Comparative integromics on VEGF family members
1M&M Medical BioInformatics, Hongo 113-0033, Japan.
International Journal of Oncology
|May 11, 2006
Summary
The WNT/beta-catenin signaling pathway regulates vascular endothelial growth factor D (VEGFD) gene expression. Comparative genomics reveal significant promoter evolution in mammalian VEGFD orthologs, highlighting VEGFD as a pharmacogenomics target in oncology.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and related pathways are crucial for vascular remodeling, regeneration, and cancer.
- VEGF family ligands interact with receptor tyrosine kinases, forming targets for anti-cancer drugs like Bevacizumab.
- The WNT/beta-catenin signaling pathway plays a role in various biological processes, including cancer development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the regulatory elements within the promoter regions of human VEGF family members.
- To identify TCF/LEF binding sites in the human VEGFD gene promoter.
- To perform comparative genomics analyses on VEGFD orthologs to understand promoter evolution.
Main Methods:
- Bioinformatics analysis to search for TCF/LEF binding sites in human VEGF family promoters.
- Comparative genomics to analyze VEGFD orthologs across different mammalian species.
- mRNA expression analysis of human and mouse VEGFD.
Main Results:
- Four TCF/LEF-binding sites were identified in the human VEGFD 5'-promoter region.
- Comparative analysis showed conservation of TCF/LEF and bHLH binding sites varied across mammalian VEGFD promoters, indicating significant evolution.
- Human VEGFD was confirmed as a potent target gene of the WNT/beta-catenin signaling pathway.
Conclusions:
- The WNT/beta-catenin signaling pathway is a key regulator of human VEGFD expression.
- Significant promoter evolution has occurred among mammalian VEGFD orthologs.
- VEGFD is implicated in angiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis, making it a valuable pharmacogenomics target in oncology.
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