Interactions between mural cells and endothelial cells stabilize the developing zebrafish dorsal aorta

Area of Science:

• Developmental biology
• Vascular biology
• Zebrafish models

Background:

• Mural cells (vascular smooth muscle cells and pericytes) are crucial for vascular development and stabilization.
• The precise mechanisms by which mural cells stabilize vessels remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the origin and function of mural cells in the developing dorsal aorta.
• To elucidate the role of mural cells in vascular basement membrane formation and vessel stabilization.

Main Methods:

• Utilized zebrafish as an in vivo model system.
• Examined mural cell emergence from sclerotome cells.
• Disrupted platelet-derived growth factor receptor (pdgfr) signaling to inhibit mural cell recruitment.

Main Results:

• Confirmed mural cells ensheathing the dorsal aorta originate from the adjacent sclerotome.
• Inhibition of mural cell recruitment resulted in a thinner vascular basement membrane.
• Disrupted signaling led to increased aortic elasticity and failure to restrict aortic diameter.

Conclusions:

• Mural cells are essential for patterning and stabilizing the early vasculature.
• Mural cells maintain the vascular basement membrane, preventing abnormal aortic expansion and elasticity.
• Provides in vivo evidence for the functional role of mural cells in vascular development.