ADAMTSL2, a missing link in Wnt/ß-catenin regulated CNS vascular development
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ABSTRACT: Context dependent molecular cues shape the formation of the cerebral vascular network and the function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The Wnt/ß-catenin pathway is orchestrating CNS vascular development, but downstream mediators have not been characterized. Here we generated an endothelial cell-specific R26-Axin1 overexpression (AOE) mouse model to inhibit Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. In AOE mice we discovered that blockade of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway leads to premature regression and remodeling without compromising BBB integrity. Importantly, by comparing transcriptomes of endothelial cells from wildtype and AOE mice, we identified ADAMTSL2 as a novel Wnt/ß-catenin-induced, secreted factor, important for stabilizing the BBB during development. Zebrafish loss-of-function and gain-of-function models, further demonstrated that ADAMTSL2 is crucial for normal vascular development and could rescue vascular phenotypes in AOE zebrafish brains. In conclusion, the studies presented here reveal a hitherto unrecognized role of ADAMTSL2 as an endothelial cell-specific mediator of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling during CNS vascular development and BBB-formation.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE66848 | GEO | 2019/02/22
SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA278083
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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