Erythro-myeloid progenitors contribute endothelial cells to developing blood vessels
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ABSTRACT: The earliest blood vessels in the mammalian embryo are formed when endothelial cells (ECs) differentiate from angioblasts and coalesce into tubular networks. Thereafter, the en-dothelium is thought to expand solely by proliferation of pre-existing ECs. Here we show that the earliest precursors of erythrocytes, megakaryocytes and macrophages, the yolk sac-derived erythro-myeloid progenitors (EMPs), provide a complementary source of ECs that are recruited into pre-existing vasculature. Whereas a first wave of yolk sac-resident EMPs contributes ECs to the yolk sac endothelium, a second wave of EMPs colonises the embryo and contributes ECs to intraembryonic endothelium in multiple organs, where they persist into adulthood. By demonstrating that EMPs constitute a hitherto unrecognised source of ECs, we reveal that embryonic blood vascular endothelium expands in a dual mechanism that involves both the proliferation of pre-existing ECs and the incorporation of ECs derived from hematopoietic precursors.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE117978 | GEO | 2018/08/02
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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