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Microvascular endothelial cells from E-selectin-deficient mice form tubes in vitro
M E Gerritsen1, C P Shen, W J Atkinson
1Institute for Bone and Joint Disease and Cancer, Bayer Corporation, West Haven, Connecticut 06516-4175, USA.
Summary
E-selectin (CD62E) is not essential for blood vessel formation in vitro. Studies show that endothelial cells from mice lacking E-selectin still form tube-like structures, indicating no requirement for this molecule in vascular morphogenesis.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Vascular Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- E-selectin (CD62E) has been implicated in capillary morphogenesis and angiogenesis in vitro.
- Germline inactivation of the E-selectin gene results in viable and fertile mice without apparent vascular development deficiencies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of E-selectin in the in vitro morphogenesis of 3-dimensional vascular structures.
- To compare the differentiation of murine lung endothelial cells from wild-type and E-selectin-deficient mice.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of murine lung endothelial cells from wild-type and E-selectin-deficient mice using activation-dependent sterile sorting.
- Culturing cells on fibronectin, Matrigel, and collagen gels to observe differentiation into tube-like structures.
Main Results:
- Both wild-type and E-selectin-deficient murine lung endothelial cells spontaneously formed multicellular tubes and anastomotic networks in vitro.
- No significant differences were observed in the time course or appearance of tube formation between the two cell types.
- Variations in vascular structure patterns were noted depending on the extracellular matrix used.
Conclusions:
- E-selectin is not required for the in vitro morphogenesis of 3-dimensional vascular structures.
- Endothelial cell differentiation and tube formation can occur independently of E-selectin expression.