EphrinB2 controls vessel pruning through STAT1-JNK3 signalling

• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7576
• Publication Date: 2015-03-26T10:44:27Z
• Authors: Ombretta Salvucci; Hidetaka Ohnuki; Dragan Maric; Xu Hou; Xuri Li; Sung Ok Yoon; Marta Segarra; Charles G. Eberhart; Amparo Acker-Palmer; Giovanna Tosato
• Keywords: Sprouting angiogenesis

Angiogenesis produces primitive vascular networks that need pruning to yield hierarchically organized and functional vessels. Despite the critical importance of vessel patterning function, mechanisms regulating this process are not clear. Here we show EphrinB2, a well-known player in angiogenesis, is an essential regulator endothelial cell death pruning. This regulation depends upon phosphotyrosine-EphrinB2 signalling repressing c-jun N-terminal kinase 3 activity via STAT1. JNK3 activation causes death. In absence JNK3, hyaloid physiological impaired, associated with abnormal persistence vessels, defective retinal vasculature microphthalmia. syndrome closely resembles human persistent hyperplastic primary vitreus (PHPV), attributed failed involution Our results provide evidence EphrinB2/STAT1/JNK3 for pruning, defects pathway may contribute PHPV. Pruning newly formed blood vessels important yet poorly understood aspect angiogenesis. authors phosphotyrosine-dependent EphrinB2 represses function STAT1, identify as effector mice.