Abstract:
Developmental angiogenesis proceeds through multiple morphogenetic events including sprouting,
intussusception, and pruning. Mice lacking the membrane-anchored metalloproteinase regulator Reck die in utero
around embryonic day 10.5 with halted vascular development; however, the mechanisms by which this phenotype
arises remain unclear. We found that Reck is abundantly expressed in the cells associated with blood vessels undergoing
angiogenesis or remodelling in the uteri of pregnant female mice. Some of the Reck-positive vessels show
morphological features consistent with non-sprouting angiogenesis. Treatment with a vector expressing a small
hairpin RNA against Reck severely disrupts the formation of blood vessels with a compact, round lumen. Similar
defects were found in the vasculature of Reck-deficient or Reck conditional knockout embryos. Our findings implicate Reck in vascular remodeling, possibly through non-sprouting angiogenesis, in
both maternal and embyornic tissues.
