Plxnd1-mediated mechanosensing of blood flow controls the caliber of the Dorsal Aorta via the transcription factor Klf2.

The cardiovascular system generates and responds to mechanical forces. The heartbeat pumps blood through a network of vascular tubes, which adjust their caliber in response to the hemodynamic environment. However, how endothelial cells in the developing vascular system integrate inputs from circulatory forces into signaling pathways to define vessel caliber is poorly understood.