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HEREDITAS ›› 2013, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (4): 459-467.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1005.2013.00459

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G protein-coupled receptors in vascular development

LI Fang-Fang, LI Wen-Qing, JING Qing   

  1. Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine & Shanghai Insti-tutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200025, China
  • Received:2012-05-08 Revised:2012-08-24 Online:2013-04-20 Published:2013-04-25

Abstract: The vascular development consists of two continuous processes: vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. Some researches showed that G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play important roles in these processes, including the regulation of differentiation, migration and coalescence of angioblasts, fate decision of tip and stalk cells, proliferation and migration of endothelial cells and tube formation. For the key events of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis, we summarize the recent advance of GPCRs, especially Class A and F. In particular, the advantages, of zebrafish, which has been widely used in developmental biology as a vertebrate model, are introduced. Using zebrafish will bring the great potential and prospect to demonstrate the role of GPCRs in vascular development in the future.

Key words: G protein-coupled receptors, vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, rhodopsin-like receptors, Frizzled/Smoothened, zebrafish