Vascular Abnormalities in Mice Lacking the Endothelial Gap Junction Proteins connexin37 and connexin40

Developmental Biology

Andrea R. McWhorter¹  Alexander M. Simon¹ 

[1] Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85724

关键词: connexin;    gap junction;    intercellular communication;    endothelium;    vascular abnormality;    hemorrhage;    hemangioma;    vascular malformation;   

DOI  :  10.1006/dbio.2002.0826

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Academic Press

【 摘 要 】

Cellswithinthevascularwallarecoupledbygapjunctions,allowingfordirectintercellulartransferoflowmolecularweightmolecules.Althoughgapjunctionsarebelievedtobeimportantforvasculardevelopmentandfunction,theirpreciserolesarenotwellunderstood.Micelackingeitherconnexin37(Cx37)orconnexin40(Cx40),thepredominantgapjunctionproteinspresentinvascularendothelium,areviableandexhibitphenotypesthatarelargelynon-bloodvesselrelated.SinceCx37andCx40arecoexpressedinendothelialcellsandcouldoverlapfunctionally,somerolesofjunctionalcommunicationmayonlyberevealedbytheeliminationofbothconnexins.Inthisstudy,weinterbreedCx37andCx40knockoutmicetogenerateCx37−/−Cx40−/−animalsandshowthattheydisplayseverevascularabnormalitiesanddieperinatally.Cx37−/−Cx40−/−animalsexhibitlocalizedhemorrhagesinskin,testis,gastrointestinaltissues,andlungs,withpronouncedbloodvesseldilatationandcongestionoccurringinsomeareas.Vascularanomalieswereparticularlystrikingintestisandintestine.Intestis,abnormalvascularchannelswerepresent,withthesechannelscoalescingintoacavernous,endothelium-linedbloodpoolresemblingahemangioma.Theseresultsprovideevidenceofacriticalroleforendothelialgapjunction-mediatedcommunicationinthedevelopmentand/orfunctionalmaintenanceofsegmentsofthemousevasculature.

【 授权许可】

Unknown