PUBLICATION

Transcription factor COUP-TFII is indispensable for venous and lymphatic development in zebrafish and Xenopus laevis

Authors
Aranguren, X.L., Beerens, M., Vandevelde, W., Dewerchin, M., Carmeliet, P., and Luttun, A.
ID
ZDB-PUB-110613-5
Date
2011
Source
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications   410(1): 121-6 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • COUP Transcription Factor II/genetics
  • COUP Transcription Factor II/physiology*
  • Cardiovascular Abnormalities/genetics
  • Cell Movement
  • Endothelium, Vascular/embryology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Homeodomain Proteins/genetics
  • Lymphangiogenesis/genetics*
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins/genetics
  • Veins/embryology*
  • Xenopus laevis/embryology*
  • Xenopus laevis/genetics
  • Zebrafish/embryology*
  • Zebrafish/genetics
PubMed
21641336 Full text @ Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.
Abstract
Transcription factors play a central role in cell fate determination. Gene targeting in mice revealed that Chicken Ovalbumin Upstream Promoter-Transcription Factor II (COUP-TFII, also known as Nuclear Receptor 2F2 or NR2F2) induces a venous phenotype in endothelial cells (ECs). More recently, NR2F2 was shown to be required for initiating the expression of Prox1, responsible for lymphatic commitment of venous ECs. Small animal models like zebrafish embryos and Xenopus laevis tadpoles have been very useful to elucidate mechanisms of (lymph) vascular development. Therefore, the role of NR2F2 in (lymph) vascular development was studied by eliminating its expression in these models. Like in mice, absence of NR2F2 in zebrafish resulted in distinct vascular defects including loss of venous marker expression, major trunk vessel fusion and vascular leakage. Both in zebrafish and Xenopus the development of the main lymphatic structures was severely hampered. NR2F2 knockdown significantly decreased prox1 expression in zebrafish ECs and the same manipulation affected lymphatic (L)EC commitment, migration and function in Xenopus tadpoles. Therefore, the role of NR2F2 in EC fate determination is evolutionary conserved.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping