Regulation of the nascent brain vascular network by neural progenitors

Abstract

Neural progenitors are central players in the development of the brain neural circuitry. They not only produce the diverse neuronal and glial cell types in the brain, but also guide their migration in this process. Recent evidence indicates that neural progenitors also play a critical role in the development of the brain vascular network. At an early stage, neural progenitors have been found to facilitate the ingression of blood vessels from outside the neural tube, through VEGF and canonical Wnt signaling. Subsequently, neural progenitors directly communicate to endothelial cells to stabilize nascent brain vessels, in part through down-regulating Wnt pathway activity. Furthermore, neural progenitors promote nascent brain vessel integrity, through integrin αvβ8-dependent TGFβ signaling. In this review, we will discuss the evidence for, as well as questions that remain, regarding these novel roles of neural progenitors and the underlying mechanisms in their regulation of the nascent brain vascular network.

Understanding tissue-specificity with human tissue-specific regulatory networks

“…However, the regulations provided more information about brain-related pathways that cannot be provided by TSGs. Pathways like Wnt signaling pathway, TGF-beta signaling pathway, and Adherens junction are enriched in the brain-specific regulations, and have been shown to play important roles in brain functions [30,31]. For instance, recent evidence indicates that the Wnt signaling and TGF-beta signaling pathways play important roles in the proper function of brain neural circuitry as well as the brain vascular network [30,32].…”

“…Pathways like Wnt signaling pathway, TGF-beta signaling pathway, and Adherens junction are enriched in the brain-specific regulations, and have been shown to play important roles in brain functions [30,31]. For instance, recent evidence indicates that the Wnt signaling and TGF-beta signaling pathways play important roles in the proper function of brain neural circuitry as well as the brain vascular network [30,32]. Through VEGF and Wnt signaling, neural progenitors facilitate the ingression of blood vessels from the neural tube and communicate with endothelial cells to stabilize nascent brain vessels by down-regulating Wnt pathway.…”

“…Through VEGF and Wnt signaling, neural progenitors facilitate the ingression of blood vessels from the neural tube and communicate with endothelial cells to stabilize nascent brain vessels by down-regulating Wnt pathway. Furthermore, the nascent brain vessel integrity was promoted through integrin v8-dependent TGF signaling crucial processes for establishing the brain vascular network [30,32]. In general, disease occurs in specific tissues, and the development of disease involves the dysregulation of many genes.…”

A Tie2‐driven BAC‐TRAP transgenic line for in vivo endothelial gene profiling

“…). Subsequently, radial glial cells regulate nascent brain vessel stabilization (Ma et al ., ; Santhosh and Huang, ) and promote and maintain vessel maturation and integrity (McCarty et al ., ; Proctor et al ., ). At the postnatal stage, neural activity also regulates vessel development and patterning in the brain (Lacoste et al ., ; Whiteus et al ., ).…”

“…During development, brain neural progenitors (also known as radial glial cells) signal to ECs through the canonical Wnt pathway to promote central nervous system vascularization (Daneman et al, 2009;Liebner et al, 2008;Stenman et al 2008). Subsequently, radial glial cells regulate nascent brain vessel stabilization Santhosh and Huang, 2015) and promote and maintain vessel maturation and integrity (McCarty et al, 2005;Proctor et al, 2005). At the postnatal stage, neural activity also regulates vessel development and patterning in the brain (Lacoste et al, 2014;Whiteus et al, 2014).…”