idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Nachrichten, Termine, Experten

Grafik: idw-Logo
Science Video Project
idw-Abo

idw-News App:

AppStore

Google Play Store



Instanz:
Teilen: 
15.09.2017 12:36

How Blood Vessels Are Formed

Marietta Fuhrmann-Koch Kommunikation und Marketing
Universität Heidelberg

    New insights into the development of the vascular system: researchers in the team of Dr Carmen Ruiz de Almodóvar of the Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center have discovered a crucial biological step that regulates the formation of blood vessels. They were able to show that the proteins YAP and TAZ play an important role in this process. The new findings were published in the journal “Developmental Cell”.

    Press Release
    Heidelberg, 15 September 2017

    How Blood Vessels Are Formed
    Heidelberg scientists gain new insights into the development of the vascular system

    New insights into the development of the vascular system: researchers in the team of Dr Carmen Ruiz de Almodóvar of the Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center have discovered a crucial biological step that regulates the formation of blood vessels. They were able to show that the proteins YAP and TAZ play an important role in this process. The new findings were published in the journal “Developmental Cell”.

    Endothelial cells form the inner lining of blood vessels. During embryonic development, these cells begin to assemble and grow into vessels. Genetic dysfunction of YAP and TAZ specifically in endothelial cells results in severe vascular defects right up to the death of the embryo, as shown by the postdoctoral researcher Dr Xiaohong Wang, who works in the team of Dr Ruiz de Almodóvar.

    YAP and TAZ are the effectors of the Hippo signalling pathway, which has been identified as a central regulator of organ size and tumour growth. As co-transcription factors, the two proteins bind to certain transcription factors to regulate gene transcription, the process by which genetic information is copied from DNA to RNA to ultimately result in specific protein formation. In order to do this, YAP and TAZ must be activated and move to the cell nucleus.

    As the Heidelberg scientists discovered, the “Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor” (VEGF) – a key factor for the growth and development of blood vessels – is a major activator for YAP and TAZ in endothelial cells. The researchers examined the process of vascularisation of the central nervous system in mice. “If YAP and TAZ are missing, the endothelial cells will not react to the VEGF signal, preventing correct blood vessel formation,” explains Dr Ruiz de Almodóvar.

    The findings of this basic research could provide new ways of treating diseases that involve a dysfunctional formation of blood vessels.

    Original publication:
    X. Wang, A. Freire Valls, G. Schermann, Y. Shen, I.M. Moya, L. Castro, S. Urban, G.M. Solecki, F. Winkler, L. Riedemann, R.K. Jain, M. Mazzone, T. Schmidt, T. Fischer, G. Halder, and C. Ruiz de Almodóvar: YAP/TAZ Orchestrate VEGF Signaling during Developmental Angiogenesis. Developmental Cell (published online 31 August 2017), doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2017.08.002

    Contact:
    Dr Carmen Ruiz de Almodóvar
    Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center
    Phone +49 6221 54-4750
    carmen.ruizdealmodovar@bzh.uni-heidelberg.de

    Communications and Marketing
    Press Office
    Phone +49 6221 54-2311
    presse@rektorat.uni-heidelberg.de


    Bilder

    Merkmale dieser Pressemitteilung:
    Journalisten
    Biologie, Chemie
    überregional
    Forschungsergebnisse, Wissenschaftliche Publikationen
    Englisch


     

    Hilfe

    Die Suche / Erweiterte Suche im idw-Archiv
    Verknüpfungen

    Sie können Suchbegriffe mit und, oder und / oder nicht verknüpfen, z. B. Philo nicht logie.

    Klammern

    Verknüpfungen können Sie mit Klammern voneinander trennen, z. B. (Philo nicht logie) oder (Psycho und logie).

    Wortgruppen

    Zusammenhängende Worte werden als Wortgruppe gesucht, wenn Sie sie in Anführungsstriche setzen, z. B. „Bundesrepublik Deutschland“.

    Auswahlkriterien

    Die Erweiterte Suche können Sie auch nutzen, ohne Suchbegriffe einzugeben. Sie orientiert sich dann an den Kriterien, die Sie ausgewählt haben (z. B. nach dem Land oder dem Sachgebiet).

    Haben Sie in einer Kategorie kein Kriterium ausgewählt, wird die gesamte Kategorie durchsucht (z.B. alle Sachgebiete oder alle Länder).