Fig. 2: FAK deletion in pericytes inhibits angiogenesis in response to VEGF, PDGF-B and PlGF. | Nature Communications

Fig. 2: FAK deletion in pericytes inhibits angiogenesis in response to VEGF, PDGF-B and PlGF.

From: Pericyte FAK negatively regulates Gas6/Axl signalling to suppress tumour angiogenesis and tumour growth

Fig. 2

a VEGF-stimulated, PDGF-B-stimulated and PlGF-stimulated angiogenesis in vivo were all reduced significantly in pdgfrβcre+;fakfl/fl mice. Charts represent quantitation of blood vessels in infiltrated areas of sponges ± s.e.m., n = 7 and 9 PBS and 7 and 8 VEGF treated sponges in pdgfrβcre-;fakfl/fl and pdgfrβcre+;fakfl/fl mice, respectively. 9 and 7 PDGF-B and 8 and 8 PlGF treated sponges in pdgfrβcre-;fakfl/fl and pdgfrβcre+;fakfl/fl mice, respectively; ***p = 0.0002 (VEGF), **p = 0.0019 (PDGF-B), ****p < 0.0001 (PlGF). Representative images of endomucin stained sections of sponges. Scale bar, 100 μm. b α-SMA-positive pericyte association with blood vessels were reduced in sponges from pdgfrβcre+;fakfl/fl mice when compared with pdgfrβcre-;fakfl/fl mice. Charts represent percentage of α-SMA-positive blood vessels ± s.e.m., n = 5 sponges each from pdgfrβcre-;fakfl/fl and pdgfrβcre+;fakfl/fl mice, ***p = 0.0004. Representative images of α-SMA/endomucin stained sections of sponges. Scale bar, 200 μm. c FAKKO pericyte migration speed is decreased in response to serum. Chart represents migration speed in serum starved WT and FAKKO pericytes and WT and FAKKO pericytes in the presence of serum + s.e.m. **p < 0.005, *p < 0.01, n = 3 biological repeats in duplicate. d WT and FAKKO pericytes showed no difference in adhesion to BSA, Fibronectin, Collagen I, Collagen IV, Laminin 1 or Fibrinogen. Chart represents the relative number of cells that attached to the matrix normalised to BSA (negative control) ± s.e.m. n = 8 replicates. e WT and FAKKO pericytes proliferate at a similar rate. Line graph represents mean ± s.e.m.; n = 4 wells/genotype, 5 experimental repeats. f WT and FAKKO pericytes show no differences in signalling in response to PDGF-B. Graphs represent the densitometric quantitation of p-ERK1/2/ERK1/2 ratio, p-AKT:AKT ratio and p-JNK:JNK ratio ± s.e.m.; n = 2 experimental repeats. g Endothelial cells isolated from pdgfrβcre-;fakfl/fl and pdgfrβcre+;fakfl/fl show no differences in signalling in response to VEGF or PlGF. Graphs represent the densitometric quantitation of p-VEGFR2/VEGFR2 with VEGF, p-ERK/ERK with VEGF and p-ERK/ERK with PlGF ratios ± s.e.m.; n = 3 experimental repeats. a–c Two-sided Students t-test, ns not significant. Source data are provided as a Source data file.

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