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(Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2009;29:623.)
© 2009 American Heart Association, Inc.

Brief Reviews

The Opening Act

Vasculogenesis and the Origins of Circulation

Suk-Won Jin; Cam Patterson

From the Carolina Cardiovascular Biology Center (S.W.J., C.P.), Cell and Molecular Physiology (S.W.J.), and the Department of Medicine (C.P.), The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Correspondence to Cam Patterson, MD, Director, Carolina Cardiovascular Biology Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 8200 Medical Biomolecular Research Building, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7126. E-mail cpatters{at}med.unc.edu

Series Editor: Mark Majesky PhD

Previous studies on cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate vascular development identified key signaling pathways and transcription factors. These findings supported the notion that the formation of vasculature is predominantly regulated by genetic programs, which is generally accepted. However, recent progress in understanding nongenetic factors that can modify the preprogrammed genetic mechanisms added another layer of complexity to our current understanding of vascular development. Here, we briefly summarize historic viewpoints and evolutionary perspectives on vascular development. We also review the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern the emergence of the endothelial lineage and the subsequent process of vasculogenesis during development, with an emphasis on vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietin signaling cascades. Finally, we discuss epigenetic factors such as hemodynamic forces and hypoxic responses that can modulate and override the predetermined genetic mechanisms of vascular development.

Key Words: vasculogenesis • VEGF • angiopoietin • endothelial progenitor • development

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