Regulation of arterial specification by ephrin-B2/EphB4 interactions
Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ephrin ligands are crucial regulators of tissue integrity and boundary formation. Further, opposing expression of EphB4 and ephrin-B2 in presumptive arterial and venous territories leads to arterial-venous segregation. However, the precise regulation of arterial EC specification during development is currently unknown. Therefore, in my project, we propose to unravel the role of ephrin-B2/EphB4 interactions in artery specification and formation. In order to achieve this, we are using a combination of genetically modified mice, diverse in vitro assays, as well as RNA sequencing.