Vascular Molecular Embryology

Abstract

The cardiovascular system is the first functional organ system to develop in the embryo. While the development of the heart itself has received an enormous amount of scientific attention, the formation of the equally essential vascular endothelial network has been relatively little studied. However, much progress has been made over the last 10 years. The use of molecular probes, mouse, and zebrafish molecular genetic techniques, and embryological studies using highly manipulable chick and Xenopusembryos, has resulted in a huge improvement in the understanding of the cellular and molecular processes regulating vascular development. In this review, we will provide an overview of embryonic vascular development, from the classical anatomical descriptions, through the formation and maturation of the vascular endothelial network and finally to the gene regulatory networks regulating endothelial gene transcription.