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A role for sialyl Lewis-X/A glycoconjugates in capillary morphogenesis
M Nguyen1, N A Strubel, J Bischoff
1Surgical Research Laboratory, Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
Nature
|September 16, 1993
Summary
Researchers identified cell adhesion molecules crucial for blood vessel formation. Antibodies targeting sialyl Lewis-X/A and E-selectin blocked capillary development in an in vitro model, highlighting E-selectin
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is a critical process in development and disease.
- Cell adhesion molecules play vital roles in cell-cell interactions during vascular development.
- The specific molecules mediating endothelial cell assembly into capillary-like structures remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify key cell adhesion molecules involved in the in vitro formation of capillary-like tubes by endothelial cells.
- To investigate the role of selectin family members in angiogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an in vitro model of angiogenesis using bovine capillary endothelial cells.
- Employed monoclonal antibodies against carbohydrate epitopes (sialyl Lewis-X and sialyl Lewis-A) and bovine E-selectin.
- Isolated and characterized a complementary DNA encoding bovine E-selectin.
Main Results:
- Monoclonal antibodies against sialyl Lewis-X and sialyl Lewis-A significantly inhibited capillary formation.
- A bovine E-selectin homolog was identified with high sequence identity to human E-selectin.
- Antibody blockade of bovine E-selectin also inhibited capillary tube formation.
Conclusions:
- Sialyl Lewis-X and sialyl Lewis-A epitopes are involved in endothelial cell adhesion during capillary formation.
- A bovine E-selectin homolog plays a role in capillary morphogenesis, extending its known function beyond leukocyte adhesion.