Publications by authors named "Dawn E Westhoff"
Objective: Despite the absolute requirement of Delta/Notch signaling to activate lateral inhibition during early blood vessel development, many mechanisms remain unclear about how this system is regulated. Our objective was to determine the involvement of Epsin 15 Homology Domain Containing 2 (EHD2) in delta-like ligand 4 (Dll4) endocytosis during Notch activation.
Approach And Results: Using both in vivo and in vitro models, we demonstrate that EHD2 is a novel modulator of Notch activation in endothelial cells through controlling endocytosis of Dll4.
Article Synopsis
- Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a genetic disorder characterized by abnormal connections between arteries and veins due to specific mutations in the TGFβ signaling pathway.
- Researchers created a new mouse model with a targeted knockout of the Smad4 gene in endothelial cells to investigate the development of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), which are common in HHT.
- The study results showed that loss of Smad4 leads to vascular defects, increased cell proliferation, changes in blood vessel coverage, and links between TGFβ and VEGF signaling pathways, contributing to AVM formation.