Figure 1
Apelin signaling promotes endothelial sprouting.
Visualization of apelin and apelin receptor b expression using transgenic reporter lines. Confocal projection images of the trunk region of zebrafish embryos. (A) TgBAC(apln:EGFP) expression is detectable in growing ISVs at 30 and 54 hpf. Arrowheads point to strong apln expression in tip cells, while arrows point to weak apln expression in stalk cells. (B) TgBAC(aplnrb:aplnrb-EGFP) expression is detectable in sprouting ECs (arrowheads) at 26 hpf and is clearly present in the ISVs and DLAV at 54 hpf. (C) Inactivation of Apelin ligand and receptor genes impairs angiogenesis. Confocal projection images of the blood vasculature in the trunk region of Tg(fli1a:EGFP) embryos. apln -/-; apela -/- as well as aplnra -/-; aplnrb -/- embryos exhibit a reduction in vascular sprouting at 28 and 54 hpf. Arrowheads point to stalled ISVs. Scale bars: A’, 10 µm; A’’, B’, C’, C’’, 20 µm; B’’, 15 µm.