| Author |
Iba T, Wakabayashi T, Ito R, Sugawara A, Fujimura S, Sawane M, Yoshioka K, Matsui A, Morishige JI, Nagata N, Ito Y, Horie M, Maeda D, Tanaka R, Ando H, Takakura N, Naito H.
|
| Abstract |
Endothelial cells expressing the CD157 antigen (CD157+ ECs) contribute to vascular regeneration and maintenance in adult tissues, but their molecular identity is not fully defined. Here, we show that CD157-positive ECs in mouse and human tissues share conserved transcriptional profiles enriched for angiogenesis-associated genes. Regulon analysis revealed a gene-regulatory network in which the NFAT pathway contributes to vascular network formation. Integration of mouse and human scRNA-seq datasets revealed human EC clusters with gene expression profiles resembling mouse CD157-positive ECs. The clusters were localized in the large vessel intima and expressed known stem-like EC markers such as BST1 (CD157), PROCR (CD201), and ABCG2. Functionally, human CD157+ ECs isolated from muscle exhibited greater proliferative capacity than CD157- ECs. Cell-cell interaction analysis suggested active communication between CD157-positive ECs and surrounding cells, via the CXCL12-CXCR7 axis. Our findings identify a conserved gene signature for CD157+ ECs with potential relevance for vascular regeneration.
|
