NOVEL HUMAN VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH-FACTOR GENES VEGF-B AND VEGF-C LOCALIZE TO CHROMOSOMES 11Q13 AND 4Q34, RESPECTIVELY

Background Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important r egulator of endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and permeabilit y during embryonic vasculogenesis as well as in physiological and path ological angiogenesis. The recently isolated VEGF-B and VEGF-C cDNAs e ncode novel growth factor genes of the VEGF family. Methods and Result s Southern blotting and polymerase chain reaction analysis of somatic cell hybrids and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of metaphas e chromosomes were used to assess the chromosomal localization of VEGF -B and VEGF-C genes. The VEGF-B gene was found on chromosome 11q13, pr oximal to the cyclin D1 gene, which is amplified in a number of human carcinomas. However, VEGF-B was not amplified in several mammary carci noma cell lines containing amplified cyclin D1. The VEGF-C gene was lo cated on chromosome 4q34, close to the human aspartylglucosaminidase g ene previously mapped to 4q34-35. Conclusions The VEGF-B locus in 11q1 3 and the VEGF-C locus in 4q34 are candidate targets for mutations tha t lead to vascular malformations or cardiovascular diseases.