Characterization of human dermal sheath cells reveals CD36-expressing perivascular cells associated with capillary blood vessel formation in hair follicles

Pericytes are vascular satellites present around capillary blood vessels and small venules. They have been observed in almost every tissue of the body and are thought to be related to vascular smooth muscle cells. Morphologically pericytes have great similarity to vascular endothelial cells and also slightly resemble myoepithelial cells.The present study describes the ultrastructural morphology of pericytes in normal breast tissue and in benign tumor of the breast. The study showed that pericytes are ovoid or elongated cells separated from the endothelial cell of the capillary blood vessel by the basement membrane of endothelial cell. The nuclei of pericytes are often very distinctive. Although some are round, oval, or elongated, others show marked irregularity and infolding of the nuclear membrane. The cytoplasm shows mono-or bipolar extension in which the cytoplasmic organelles are located (Fig. 1). These cytoplasmic extensions embrace the capillary blood vessel incompletely. The plasma membrane exhibits multiple areas of focal condensation called hemidesmosomes (Fig. 2, arrow). A variable number of pinocytotic vesicles are frequently seen lining the outer plasma membrane. Normally pericytes are surrounded by a basement membrane which is found more consistently on the outer plasma membrane separating the pericytes from the stromal connective tissue.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Cdc42 is required for cytoskeletal support of endothelial cell adhesion during blood vessel formation in mice.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.725705389.793510324 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Guillermo Oliver ◽

Noelia Escobedo

Keyword(s):

Cell Adhesion ◽

Endothelial Cell ◽

Blood Vessel ◽

Blood Vessel Formation ◽

Vessel Formation ◽

Endothelial Cell Adhesion

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Emerging Role of AP-1 Transcription Factor JunB in Angiogenesis and Vascular Development

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22062804 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (6) ◽

pp. 2804

Author(s):

Yasuo Yoshitomi ◽

Takayuki Ikeda ◽

Hidehito Saito-Takatsuji ◽

Hideto Yonekura

Keyword(s):

Endothelial Cells ◽

Transcription Factor ◽

Blood Vessel ◽

Vascular Endothelial Cells ◽

Vascular Development ◽

Endothelial Cell Migration ◽

Vascular Endothelial ◽

Blood Vessel Formation ◽

Vessel Formation

Blood vessels are essential for the formation and maintenance of almost all functional tissues. They play fundamental roles in the supply of oxygen and nutrition, as well as development and morphogenesis. Vascular endothelial cells are the main factor in blood vessel formation. Recently, research findings showed heterogeneity in vascular endothelial cells in different tissue/organs. Endothelial cells alter their gene expressions depending on their cell fate or angiogenic states of vascular development in normal and pathological processes. Studies on gene regulation in endothelial cells demonstrated that the activator protein 1 (AP-1) transcription factors are implicated in angiogenesis and vascular development. In particular, it has been revealed that JunB (a member of the AP-1 transcription factor family) is transiently induced in endothelial cells at the angiogenic frontier and controls them on tip cells specification during vascular development. Moreover, JunB plays a role in tissue-specific vascular maturation processes during neurovascular interaction in mouse embryonic skin and retina vasculatures. Thus, JunB appears to be a new angiogenic factor that induces endothelial cell migration and sprouting particularly in neurovascular interaction during vascular development. In this review, we discuss the recently identified role of JunB in endothelial cells and blood vessel formation.

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