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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
Assessment of Maternal Vascular Remodeling During Pregnancy in the Mouse Uterus
Published on: December 5, 2015
Involvement of the Reck tumor suppressor protein in maternal and embryonic vascular remodeling in mice
Ediriweera P S Chandana1, Yasuhiro Maeda, Akihiko Ueda
1Department of Molecular Oncology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
Background:
Developmental angiogenesis proceeds through multiple morphogenetic events including sprouting, intussusception, and pruning. Mice lacking the membrane-anchored metalloproteinase regulator Reck die in utero around embryonic day 10.5 with halted vascular development; however, the mechanisms by which this phenotype arises remain unclear.
Results:
We found that Reck is abundantly expressed in the cells associated with blood vessels undergoing angiogenesis or remodelling in the uteri of pregnant female mice. Some of the Reck-positive vessels show morphological features consistent with non-sprouting angiogenesis. Treatment with a vector expressing a small hairpin RNA against Reck severely disrupts the formation of blood vessels with a compact, round lumen. Similar defects were found in the vasculature of Reck-deficient or Reck conditional knockout embryos.
Conclusions:
Our findings implicate Reck in vascular remodeling, possibly through non-sprouting angiogenesis, in both maternal and embyonic tissues.
Insights
Reck is crucial for blood vessel development. Its absence halts vascular growth and disrupts vessel formation, impacting both maternal and embryonic tissues.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Vascular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Developmental angiogenesis involves sprouting, intussusception, and pruning.
- Mice lacking Reck exhibit embryonic lethality due to halted vascular development.
- The precise mechanisms behind Reck's role in vascular development are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the function of Reck in developmental angiogenesis.
- To elucidate the mechanisms by which Reck influences vascular remodeling.
- To determine Reck's role in both maternal and embryonic vascular development.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemical analysis of Reck expression in pregnant mouse uteri.
- In utero gene silencing using small hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting Reck.
- Analysis of vascular morphology in Reck-deficient and Reck conditional knockout embryos.
Main Results:
- Reck is highly expressed in cells of blood vessels undergoing angiogenesis and remodeling.
- Reck-positive vessels exhibit features of non-sprouting angiogenesis.
- Disruption of Reck function leads to severe defects in blood vessel lumen formation and overall vascular development in both maternal and embryonic tissues.
Conclusions:
- Reck plays a significant role in vascular remodeling.
- Non-sprouting angiogenesis may be a key mechanism regulated by Reck.
- Reck is essential for proper vascular development in both maternal and embryonic environments.
