Null mutation of exocyst complex component 3-like does not affect vascular development in mice.

Exocyst is an octameric protein complex implicated in exocytosis. The exocyst complex is highly conserved among mammalian species, but the physiological function of each subunit in exocyst remains unclear. Previously, we identified exocyst complex component 3-like (Exoc3l) as a gene abundantly expressed in embryonic endothelial cells and implicated in the process of angiogenesis in human umbilical cord endothelial cells. Here, to reveal the physiological roles of Exoc3l during development, we generated Exoc3l knockout (KO) mice by genome editing with CRISPR/Cas9. Exoc3l KO mice were viable and showed no significant phenotype in embryonic angiogenesis or postnatal retinal angiogenesis. Exoc3l KO mice also showed no significant alteration in cholesterol homeostasis or insulin secretion, although several reports suggest an association of Exoc3l with these processes. Despite the implied roles, Exoc3l KO mice exhibited no apparent phenotype in vascular development, cholesterol homeostasis, or insulin secretion.

Interaction of the nervous system and vascular system is required for the proper assembly of the neocortex.

Mammalian neocortical development encompasses an entire set of events that leads to the generation of excitatory and inhibitory neurons from neural progenitors in the dorsal and ventral telencephalon, including cell proliferation, production of migratory precursors and their progeny, differentiation, and integration into circuits. During these processes, the developing neocortex acquires its vasculature by angiogenesis, a process consisting of proliferation of endothelial cells in existing blood vessels or vascular plexuses, and leading to formation of new blood vessels. Recent studies have suggested that neocortical angiogenesis progresses in a spatially and temporally restricted manner to construct a specialized vascular niche that supports ongoing neurogenesis during neocortical development. Here we review that periventricular blood vessels selectively influence neocortical progenitors behavior and neurogenesis, highlighting how CNS angiogenesis is utilized to construct neocortical cytoarchitecture.