TY - JOUR T1 - Phenotypic heterogeneity is an evolutionarily conserved feature of the endothelium JF - Blood Y1 - 2007 A1 - Yano, K. A1 - Gale, D. A1 - Massberg, S. A1 - Cheruvu, P. K. A1 - Monahan-Earley, R. A1 - Morgan, E. S. A1 - Haig, D. A1 - von Andrian, U. H. A1 - Dvorak, A. M. A1 - Aird, W. C. KW - Animals KW - Aorta/ultrastructure KW - Biological Evolution KW - Capillaries/cytology KW - Cell Adhesion KW - Dermis/blood supply/ultrastructure KW - Endothelium/*ultrastructure KW - Hagfishes/*physiology KW - Heart/anatomy & histology KW - Lectins KW - Leukocytes/cytology KW - Liver/ultrastructure KW - Phenotype KW - Staining and Labeling KW - Venules/cytology AB -

Mammalian endothelial cells (ECs) display marked phenotypic heterogeneity. Little is known about the evolutionary mechanisms underlying EC heterogeneity. The last common ancestor of hagfish and gnathostomes was also the last common ancestor of all extant vertebrates, which lived some time more than 500 million years ago. Features of ECs that are shared between hagfish and gnathostomes can be inferred to have already been present in this ancestral vertebrate. The goal of this study was to determine whether the hagfish endothelium displays phenotypic heterogeneity. Electron microscopy of the aorta, dermis, heart, and liver revealed ultrastructural heterogeneity of the endothelium. Immunofluorescent studies demonstrated marked differences in lectin binding between vascular beds. Intravital microscopy of the dermis revealed histamine-induced adhesion of leukocytes in capillaries and postcapillary venules, but no such adhesion in arterioles. Together, these data suggest that structural, molecular, and functional heterogeneity of the endothelium evolved as an early feature of this cell lineage.

VL - 109 SN - 0006-4971 (Print)0006-4971 (Linking) N1 -

Yano, KiichiroGale, DanielMassberg, SteffenCheruvu, Pavan KMonahan-Earley, RitaMorgan, Ellen SHaig, Davidvon Andrian, Ulrich HDvorak, Ann MAird, William Ceng2006/09/23 09:00Blood. 2007 Jan 15;109(2):613-5. Epub 2006 Sep 21.

JO - BloodBlood ER -