Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026
06:05
Visualization and Quantitative Analysis of Embryonic Angiogenesis in Xenopus tropicalis
Published on: May 25, 2017
Correlating global gene regulation to angiogenesis in the developing chick extra-embryonic vascular system
Sophie Javerzat1, Mélanie Franco, John Herbert
1INSERM U920, Laboratoire des Mécanismes Moléculaires de l'Angiogenèse, Université Bordeaux 1, Talence, France.
Plos One
|November 20, 2009
Summary
This study reveals key genes regulating blood vessel development. Researchers identified novel genes in endothelial cells that are crucial for angiogenesis and may offer new therapeutic targets for diseases like cancer.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Blood vessel formation (angiogenesis) involves complex gene regulation.
- Identifying genes driving vascular maturation is key for therapeutic targets in pathological angiogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate global gene regulation during chick chorio-allantoic membrane (CAM) vascular maturation.
- To identify novel genes involved in angiogenesis and their potential roles in human diseases.
Main Methods:
- Utilized pan-genomic microarrays to analyze gene expression changes in CAM during maturation.
- Employed in silico analysis to identify human orthologs and endothelial cell enrichment.
- Validated gene expression using in situ hybridization.
Main Results:
- Identified significant changes in gene expression during CAM maturation, with a peak between embryonic days 7-10.
- Discovered upregulation of key angiogenic genes (e.g., BMP4, EPAS1) and downregulation of others at later stages.
- Found that many identified genes are conserved in humans, enriched in endothelial cells, and deregulated in cancers, with PARVB showing a significant role in endothelial cell function.
Conclusions:
- Vascular development involves intricate gene regulatory networks.
- Identified novel endothelial cell-enriched genes crucial for normal and pathological angiogenesis.
- These genes represent potential targets for therapeutic intervention in angiogenesis-related disorders.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Regulation of Angiogenesis and Blood Supply
Rapidly dividing tumors, embryos, and wounded tissues require more oxygen than usual, lowering the oxygen concentration in the blood. At low oxygen or hypoxic conditions, an oxygen-sensitive transcription factor called the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 or HIF1 is activated. HIF1 is a dimeric protein of alpha (ɑ) and beta (β) subunits. Under optimal oxygen conditions, HIF1β is present in the nucleus while HIF1ɑ remains in the cytosol. HIF1ɑ is hydroxylated by prolyl hydroxylase and factor...
01:07Development of Blood Vessels
The development of the vascular system in a fetus is a complex and intricate process that begins as early as 15 to 16 days post-conception. This process starts outside the embryo, specifically in the mesoderm of the yolk sac, chorion, and connecting stalk. Approximately two days later, the formation of blood vessels occurs within the embryo itself.
The initial formation of this system is facilitated by the small amount of yolk present in the ovum and yolk sac. Blood vessels originate from...
The initial formation of this system is facilitated by the small amount of yolk present in the ovum and yolk sac. Blood vessels originate from...
01:10Mechanism of Angiogenesis
Blood vessel formation starts early during embryonic development, around day 7. In the extraembryonic yolk sac, mesodermal precursor cells called hemangioblast proliferate and differentiate into angioblast. Angioblasts express vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 or VEGFR2, which binds VEGF-A, a proangiogenic factor, guiding blood vessel formation. VEGF signaling promotes angioblasts to form a blood island in the developing embryo. Angioblasts further differentiate, giving rise to...