The biology of vascular endothelial cell growth factor isoforms / Yin-Shan Ng -- VEGF receptor signalling in vertebrate development / Joaquim Miguel Vieira, Christiana Ruhrberg, and Quenten Schwarz -- VEGF gene regulation / Marcus Fruttiger -- Embryonic vasculogenesis and hematopoietic specification / Lauren C. Goldie, Melissa K. Nix, and Karen K. Hirschi -- Role of VEGF in organogenesis / Jody J. Haigh -- VEGF and endothelial guidance in angiogenic sprouting / Holger Gerhardt -- Vascular and nonvascular roles of VEGF in bone development / Christa Maes and Geert Carmeliet -- VEGF in the nervous system / Jeffrey M. Rosenstein, Janette M. Krum, and Christiana Ruhrberg
Summary
This book is devoted to vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF or VEGFA), a secreted signalling protein of great significance for development and disease in vertebrates. VEGFA controls the proliferation, migration, specialisation and survival of vascular endothelial cells, and it is therefore essential for the establishment of a functional blood vessel circuit. In addition, VEGFA is emerging as a versatile patterning factor for several non-endothelial cell types in vertebrates. Thus, it plays a central role during organ development at multiple levels, including blood vessel growth, vessel-
