A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF THE EXPRESSION PATTERNS FOR VEGF, VEGF-B VRF AND VEGF-C IN THE DEVELOPING AND ADULT-MOUSE/

With the goal of better understanding the function and regulation of t he different members of the VEGF family this study reports mapping of vegf, vegf-b and vegf-c mRNA expression in developing and adult mice. On embryonic day 14 (E14) there is a high expression of vegf and vegf- b, vegf-b being exceptionally high in heart and CNS. The vegf-c expres sion is lower with distinct signals in CNS and heart. Prior to birth ( E17), vegf and vegf-b expression is moderately downregulated. Overlapp ing expression is present in intrascapular fat and heart, vegf dominat es in thyroid and lung, while vegf-b appears to be the only VEGF membe r expressed at detectable levels in the CNS. In young adult mouse vegf and vegf-b show partly overlapping expression patterns particularly i n kidney, heart and in the thymus, vegf displays higher levels in lung and liver, vegf-b appears to be dominating in brain, heart, testis an d kidney. In brain the highest levels of vegf-b is present in the hipp ocampus. No vegf-c mRNA expression could be detected in the adult. Tak en together, these results illustrate, in detail, the different regula tions of the members of the VEGF gene family. There are at present at least three specific effecters of vascular proliferation with clear di fferences in their expression. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All righ ts reserved.