Angioblast differentiation is influenced by the local environment: FGF-2 induces angioblasts and patterns vessel formation in the quail embryo

Embryonic development of the proepicardium and coronary vessels

“…Both studies are in agreement with the idea that splanchnic angioblast differentiation occurs in situ without significant migration of vascular cell precursors (Drake et al, 1997). The idea that the angioblasts originate in situ from the splanchnic mesoderm is also supported by the studies of 5-somite stage avian embryo (Cox and Poole 2000;Poole et al, 2001). …”

“…Mesenchymal cells are able to infiltrate myocardium reaching the subendocardial cushions (Gittenberger-de . Depending on local availability of the growth factors such as PDGF-BB, VEGF or bFGF, the mesenchymal cells differentiate into smooth muscle cells or endothelial cells, respectively (Cox, Poole 2000;Pérez-Pomares et al, 2002a).…”

Fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 is expressed by endothelial progenitor cells

“…It stimulates endothelial cell proliferation 15 and is a potent inducer of angiogenesis. [16][17][18] FGF-2 is able to induce uncommitted mesoderm to differentiate into endothelial precursors (angioblasts) in the quail embryo 68,69 and is required for the organization of vascular endothelial cells into functional networks in the murine embryo. 70 FGF-2 has also been shown to induce the development of blood islands and endothelial cells from dissociated quail epiblasts, 71 and FGF-2 stimulates the growth of both endothelial and hematopoietic cells from embryonic avian mesoderm.…”

Multiple growth factors regulate coronary embryonic vasculogenesis

“…Moreover, a role for bFGF has also been indicated for angioblast differentiation (Cox and Poole, 2000). Previous work (Mandriota and Pepper, 1997) illustrated that tube formation and plasminogen activator expression of microvascular and aortic bovine endothelial cells is dependent on endogenous bFGF.…”