| First Author | de Almeida GM | Year | 2015 |
| Journal | Sci Rep | Volume | 5 |
| Pages | 17860 | PubMed ID | 26658478 |
| Mgi Jnum | J:250495 | Mgi Id | MGI:6101768 |
| Doi | 10.1038/srep17860 | Citation | de Almeida GM, et al. (2015) Critical roles for murine Reck in the regulation of vascular patterning and stabilization. Sci Rep 5:17860 |
| abstractText | Extracellular matrix (ECM) is known to play several important roles in vascular development, although the molecular mechanisms behind these remain largely unknown. RECK, a tumor suppressor downregulated in a wide variety of cancers, encodes a membrane-anchored matrix-metalloproteinase-regulator. Mice lacking functional Reck die in utero, demonstrating its importance for mammalian embryogenesis; however, the underlying causes of mid-gestation lethality remain unclear. Using Reck conditional knockout mice, we have now demonstrated that the lack of Reck in vascular mural cells is largely responsible for mid-gestation lethality. Experiments using cultured aortic explants further revealed that Reck is essential for at least two events in sprouting angiogenesis; (1) correct association of mural and endothelial tip cells to the microvessels and (2) maintenance of fibronectin matrix surrounding the vessels. These findings demonstrate the importance of appropriate cell-cell interactions and ECM maintenance for angiogenesis and the involvement of Reck as a critical regulator of these events. |
