Netrin-4 acts as a pro-angiogenic factor during zebrafish development

J Biol Chem. 2012 Feb 3;287(6):3987-99. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M111.289371. Epub 2011 Dec 16.

Abstract

Netrins form a heterogeneous family of laminin-related molecules with multifunctional activities. Netrin-4, the most distant member of this family, is related to the laminin β chain and has recently been proposed to play an important role in embryonic and pathological angiogenesis. However, the data reported so far lead to the apparently contradictory conclusions supporting Netrin-4 as either a pro- or an anti-angiogenic factor. To elucidate this controversy, Netrin-4 was analyzed for a vascular activity in both cell-based models (human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human umbilical artery endothelial cells) and two zebrafish models: the wild-type AB/Tü strain and the transgenic Tg(fli1a:EGFP)(y1) strain. We show that Netrin-4 is expressed in endothelial cells and in the zebrafish vascular system. We also show evidence that Netrin-4 activates various kinases and induces various biological effects directly linked to angiogenesis in vitro. Using a morpholinos strategy, we demonstrate that Netrin-4 expression is crucial for zebrafish vessel formation and that a blood vessel formation defect induced by netrin-4 morpholinos can be partially rescued through drug delivery leading to protein kinase activation. Together these data underscore the crucial role of Netrin-4 in blood vessel formation and the involvement of protein kinases activation in Netrin-4-induced biological effects related to vascular development.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified / embryology
  • Animals, Genetically Modified / genetics
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Endothelial Cells / cytology
  • Endothelial Cells / metabolism*
  • Enzyme Activation / drug effects
  • Enzyme Activation / physiology
  • Humans
  • Morpholinos / pharmacology
  • Neovascularization, Physiologic / drug effects
  • Neovascularization, Physiologic / physiology*
  • Nerve Growth Factors / genetics
  • Nerve Growth Factors / metabolism*
  • Netrins
  • Protein Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • Zebrafish / embryology*
  • Zebrafish / genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins / genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inducing Agents
  • Morpholinos
  • Nerve Growth Factors
  • Netrins
  • Zebrafish Proteins
  • ntn4 protein, zebrafish
  • Protein Kinases