Endothelial cell SMAD6 balances Alk1 function to regulate adherens junctions and hepatic vascular development

• Published in: Development (Cambridge) Vol. 150; no. 21
• Main Authors: Kulikauskas, Molly R, Oatley, Morgan, Yu, Tianji, Liu, Ziqing, Matsumura, Lauren, Kidder, Elise, Ruter, Dana, Bautch, Victoria L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England The Company of Biologists Ltd 01.11.2023
• Subjects: Adherens Junctions - metabolism; Endothelial Cells - metabolism; Hemorrhage - metabolism; Humans; Liver - metabolism; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases - metabolism; Smad6 Protein - metabolism; BMP; PI3K; Contractility; Adherens junctions; Liver sinusoid; ALK1/ACVRL1; SMAD6; Liver development; Endothelial cells; Vascular barrier

BMP signaling is crucial to blood vessel formation and function, but how pathway components regulate vascular development is not well-understood. Here, we find that inhibitory SMAD6 functions in endothelial cells to negatively regulate ALK1-mediated responses, and it is required to prevent vessel dy...