| First Author | Li W | Year | 2013 |
| Journal | Dev Cell | Volume | 24 |
| Issue | 4 | Pages | 359-71 |
| PubMed ID | 23395391 | Mgi Jnum | J:195048 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5476368 | Doi | 10.1016/j.devcel.2013.01.009 |
| Citation | Li W, et al. (2013) Peripheral nerve-derived CXCL12 and VEGF-A regulate the patterning of arterial vessel branching in developing limb skin. Dev Cell 24(4):359-71 |
| abstractText | In developing limb skin, peripheral nerves provide a spatial template that controls the branching pattern and differentiation of arteries. Our previous studies indicate that nerve-derived VEGF-A is required for arterial differentiation but not for nerve-vessel alignment. In this study, we demonstrate that nerve-vessel alignment depends on the activity of Cxcl12-Cxcr4 chemokine signaling. Genetic inactivation of Cxcl12-Cxcr4 signaling perturbs nerve-vessel alignment and abolishes arteriogenesis. Further in vitro assays allow us to uncouple nerve-vessel alignment and arteriogenesis, revealing that nerve-derived Cxcl12 stimulates endothelial cell migration, whereas nerve-derived VEGF-A is responsible for arterial differentiation. These findings suggest a coordinated sequential action in which nerve Cxcl12 functions over a distance to recruit vessels to align with nerves, and subsequent arterial differentiation presumably requires a local action of nerve VEGF-A in the nerve-associated vessels. |
