Blood Vessel Fusion Observed in Zebrafish

(University of Basel, June 11, 2013)

As the vascular system forms, the fusion of blood vessels follows a uniform process in which the splitting and rearrangement of endothelial cells plays a critical role. As reported in Developmental Cell, researchers at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, have demonstrated this in living zebrafish. Since its embryos are almost transparent, blood vessel generation can easily be observed. When new blood vessels are formed, the leading (tip) cells of two vessel sprouts first make contact then fuse, forming a common tube to establish blood flow. After fusing, they split. The team is now investigating how tip cells recognize each other and connect, which additional molecules control the fusion process and how tumors in an organism attach to the existing circulation.