[HTML][HTML] Arteriolar and venular patterning in retinas of mice selectively expressing VEGF isoforms

I Stalmans, YS Ng, R Rohan, M Fruttiger… - The Journal of …, 2002 - Am Soc Clin Investig
I Stalmans, YS Ng, R Rohan, M Fruttiger, A Bouché, A Ÿuce, H Fujisawa, B Hermans…
The Journal of clinical investigation, 2002Am Soc Clin Investig
The murine VEGF gene is alternatively transcribed to yield the VEGF120, VEGF164, and
VEGF188 isoforms, which differ in their potential to bind to heparan sulfate and neuropilin-1
and to stimulate endothelial growth. Here, their role in retinal vascular development was
studied in mice selectively expressing single isoforms. VEGF164/164 mice were normal,
healthy, and had normal retinal angiogenesis. In contrast, VEGF120/120 mice exhibited
severe defects in vascular outgrowth and patterning, whereas VEGF188/188 mice displayed …
The murine VEGF gene is alternatively transcribed to yield the VEGF120, VEGF164, and VEGF188 isoforms, which differ in their potential to bind to heparan sulfate and neuropilin-1 and to stimulate endothelial growth. Here, their role in retinal vascular development was studied in mice selectively expressing single isoforms. VEGF164/164 mice were normal, healthy, and had normal retinal angiogenesis. In contrast, VEGF120/120 mice exhibited severe defects in vascular outgrowth and patterning, whereas VEGF188/188 mice displayed normal venular outgrowth but impaired arterial development. It is noteworthy that neuropilin-1, a receptor for VEGF164, was predominantly expressed in retinal arterioles. These findings reveal distinct roles of the various VEGF isoforms in vascular patterning and arterial development in the retina.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation