Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
4
pubmed:dateCreated
2001-2-22
pubmed:abstractText
Cell-cell adhesion mediated by some members of the cadherin family is essential for embryonic survival. The N-cadherin-null embryo dies during mid-gestation, with multiple developmental defects. We show that N-cadherin-null embryos expressing cadherins using muscle-specific promoters, alpha- or beta-myosin heavy chain, are partially rescued. Somewhat surprisingly, either N-cadherin or E-cadherin was effective in rescuing the embryos. The rescued embryos exhibited an increased number of somites, branchial arches and the presence of forelimb buds; however, in contrast, brain development was severely impaired. In rescued animals, the aberrant yolk sac morphology seen in N-cadherin-null embryos was corrected, demonstrating that this phenotype was secondary to the cardiac defect. Dye injection studies and analysis of chimeric animals that have both wild-type and N-cadherin-null cells support the conclusion that obstruction of the cardiac outflow tract represents a major defect that is likely to be the primary cause of pericardial swelling seen in null embryos. Although rescued embryos were more developed than null embryos, they were smaller than wild-type embryos, even though the integrity of the cardiovascular system appeared normal. The smaller size of rescued embryos may be due, at least in part, to increased apoptosis observed in tissues not rescued by transgene expression, indicating that N-cadherin-mediated cell adhesion provides an essential survival signal for embryonic cells. Our data provide in vivo evidence that cadherin adhesion is essential for cell survival and for normal heart development. Our data also show that E-cadherin can functionally substitute for N-cadherin during cardiogenesis, suggesting a critical role for cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion, but not cadherin family member-specific signaling, at the looping stage of heart development.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Feb
pubmed:issn
0950-1991
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
128
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
459-69
pubmed:dateRevised
2008-11-21
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Animals, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Cadherins, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Cardiovascular System, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Cell Adhesion, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Cell Survival, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Embryonic and Fetal Development, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Gene Deletion, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Heart, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Histocytochemistry, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-In Situ Nick-End Labeling, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Mice, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Mice, Knockout, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Mice, Transgenic, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Microscopy, Electron, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Morphogenesis, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Myocardium, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Myosin Heavy Chains, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Phenotype, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Promoter Regions, Genetic, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Protein Isoforms, pubmed-meshheading:11171330-Yolk Sac
pubmed:year
2001
pubmed:articleTitle
Rescuing the N-cadherin knockout by cardiac-specific expression of N- or E-cadherin.
pubmed:affiliation
Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't