PUBLICATION

The blood flow-klf6a-tagln2 axis drives vessel pruning in zebrafish by regulating endothelial cell rearrangement and actin cytoskeleton dynamics

Authors
Wen, L., Zhang, T., Wang, J., Jin, X., Rouf, M.A., Luo, D., Zhu, Y., Lei, D., Gregersen, H., Wang, Y., Wang, G.
ID
ZDB-PUB-210730-6
Date
2021
Source
PLoS Genetics   17: e1009690 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Lei, Daoxi, Luo, Desha, Wang, Guixue, Wen, Lin
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Actin Cytoskeleton/metabolism
  • Actin Cytoskeleton/physiology
  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Blood Circulation/physiology*
  • Capillaries/metabolism
  • Cell Movement
  • Endothelial Cells/metabolism
  • Endothelial Cells/physiology
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors/genetics
  • Microfilament Proteins/genetics
  • Microfilament Proteins/metabolism
  • Microfilament Proteins/physiology*
  • Morphogenesis
  • Muscle Proteins/genetics
  • Muscle Proteins/metabolism
  • Muscle Proteins/physiology*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins/physiology*
  • Zebrafish/metabolism
  • Zebrafish/physiology
  • Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism
  • Zebrafish Proteins/physiology*
PubMed
34319989 Full text @ PLoS Genet.
Abstract
Recent studies have focused on capillary pruning in various organs and species. However, the way in which large-diameter vessels are pruned remains unclear. Here we show that pruning of the zebrafish caudal vein (CV) from ventral capillaries of the CV plexus in different transgenic embryos is driven by endothelial cell (EC) rearrangement, which involves EC nucleus migration, junction remodeling, and actin cytoskeleton remodeling. Further observation reveals a growing difference in blood flow velocity between the two vessels in CV pruning in zebrafish embryos. With this model, we identify the critical role of Kruppel-like factor 6a (klf6a) in CV pruning. Disruption of klf6a functioning impairs CV pruning in zebrafish. klf6a is required for EC nucleus migration, junction remodeling, and actin cytoskeleton dynamics in zebrafish embryos. Moreover, actin-related protein transgelin 2 (tagln2) is a direct downstream target of klf6a in CV pruning in zebrafish embryos. Together these results demonstrate that the klf6a-tagln2 axis regulates CV pruning by promoting EC rearrangement.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Show all Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping