PUBLICATION

The secreted neuronal signal spock1 promotes blood-brain barrier development

Authors
O'Brown, N.M., Patel, N.B., Hartmann, U., Klein, A.M., Gu, C., Megason, S.G.
ID
ZDB-PUB-230713-39
Date
2023
Source
Developmental Cell   58(17): 1534-1547.e6 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Megason, Sean, O'Brown, Natasha
Keywords
blood vessel, blood-brain barrier, development, genetics, leakage, zebrafish
Datasets
GEO:GSE230236
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Biological Transport
  • Blood-Brain Barrier*/metabolism
  • Brain
  • Endothelium/metabolism
  • Mice
  • Proteoglycans*/metabolism
  • Zebrafish*
PubMed
37437574 Full text @ Dev. Cell
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a unique set of properties of the brain vasculature which severely restrict its permeability to proteins and small molecules. Classic chick-quail chimera studies have shown that these properties are not intrinsic to the brain vasculature but rather are induced by surrounding neural tissue. Here, we identify Spock1 as a candidate neuronal signal for regulating BBB permeability in zebrafish and mice. Mosaic genetic analysis shows that neuronally expressed Spock1 is cell non-autonomously required for a functional BBB. Leakage in spock1 mutants is associated with altered extracellular matrix (ECM), increased endothelial transcytosis, and altered pericyte-endothelial interactions. Furthermore, a single dose of recombinant SPOCK1 partially restores BBB function in spock1 mutants by quenching gelatinase activity and restoring vascular expression of BBB genes including mcamb. These analyses support a model in which neuronally secreted Spock1 initiates BBB properties by altering the ECM, thereby regulating pericyte-endothelial interactions and downstream vascular gene expression.
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