Promotion of avian endothelial cell differentiation by GATA transcription factors

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2011.02.016
• Publication Date: 2011-02-24T13:43:46Z
• Authors: Caramai N. Kamei; Hervé Kempf; Ronit Yelin; Georges Daoud; Richard G. James; Andrew B. Lassar; Clifford J. Tabin; Thomas M. Schulth...
• Keywords: Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2; Apoptosis; Chick Embryo; Coturnix; [SDV.BC.IC] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Cellular Biology/Cell Behavior [q-bio.CB]; [SDV.BBM.BM] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Molecular Biology/Molecular biology; GATA Transcription Factors; Endothelial cell differentiation; Avian Proteins; Mesoderm; 03 medical and health sciences; [SDV.MHEP.CSC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Cardiology and cardiovascular system; [SDV.BC.IC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Cellular Biology/Cell Behavior [q-bio.CB]; Animals; Molecular Biology; [SDV.MHEP.RSOA] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Rhumatology and musculoskeletal system; 0303 health sciences; [SDV.BDD.EO] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Development Biology/Embryology and Organogenesis; Endothelial Cells; [SDV.BDD.MOR]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Development Biology/Morphogenesis; [SDV.BBM.BM]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Molecular Biology/Molecular biology; Cell Differentiation; Cell Biology; VEGF; [SDV.BDD.MOR] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Development Biology/Morphogenesis; [SDV.MHEP.CSC] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Cardiology and cardiovascular system; [SDV.BDD.EO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Development Biology/Embryology and Organogenesis; [SDV.MHEP.RSOA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Rhumatology and musculoskeletal system; GATA transcription factors; Chick embryo; Developmental Biology

In the avian embryo, endothelial cells originate from several sources, including the lateral plate and somite mesoderm. In this study, we show that Gata transcription factors are expressed in the lateral plate and in vasculogenic regions of the avian somite and are able to promote a vascular endothelial fate when ectopically expressed in somite precursors. A fusion of GATA4 to the transcriptional activator VP16 promoted endothelium formation, indicating that GATA transcription factors promote vasculogenesis via activation of downstream targets, while a fusion of GATA4 to the transcriptional repressor engrailed repressed expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2, a marker of endothelial precursors. These findings indicate a role for GATA transcription factors in the differentiation of the endothelium.