Membrane Trafficking and Endothelial-Cell Dynamics During Angiogenesis

Abstract

The formation of new blood vessels, or neovascularization, involves multiple processes, including cell proliferation and migration, cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion, and tube morphogenesis. Neovascularization can occur through one of two events: vasculogenesis, the de novo formation of blood vessels from angioblasts; or angiogenesis, the extension of new vessels from a pre-existing vasculature. Among these, angiogenesis in particular is relevant throughout life; its dysregulation has been causally related to several disorders that involve malignancy, inflammation, and ischemia. Angiogenesis is thought to depend on a set of signaling proteins – including certain kinases, integrins and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2) – that are enriched in specific plasma membrane domains. Both physiological and pathological angiogenesis rely on intracellular trafficking, a process that governs signaling by such proteins, as well as cell motility.