| First Author | Teichert M | Year | 2017 |
| Journal | Nat Commun | Volume | 8 |
| Pages | 16106 | PubMed ID | 28719590 |
| Mgi Jnum | J:249696 | Mgi Id | MGI:5920667 |
| Doi | 10.1038/ncomms16106 | Citation | Teichert M, et al. (2017) Pericyte-expressed Tie2 controls angiogenesis and vessel maturation. Nat Commun 8:16106 |
| abstractText | The Tie receptors with their Angiopoietin ligands act as regulators of angiogenesis and vessel maturation. Tie2 exerts its functions through its supposed endothelial-specific expression. Yet, Tie2 is also expressed at lower levels by pericytes and it has not been unravelled through which mechanisms pericyte Angiopoietin/Tie signalling affects angiogenesis. Here we show that human and murine pericytes express functional Tie2 receptor. Silencing of Tie2 in pericytes results in a pro-migratory phenotype. Pericyte Tie2 controls sprouting angiogenesis in in vitro sprouting and in vivo spheroid assays. Tie2 downstream signalling in pericytes involves Calpain, Akt and FOXO3A. Ng2-Cre-driven deletion of pericyte-expressed Tie2 in mice transiently delays postnatal retinal angiogenesis. Yet, Tie2 deletion in pericytes results in a pronounced pro-angiogenic effect leading to enhanced tumour growth. Together, the data expand and revise the current concepts on vascular Angiopoietin/Tie signalling and propose a bidirectional, reciprocal EC-pericyte model of Tie2 signalling. |
