Temporal expression analysis of angiogenesis-related genes in brain development

Background The current knowledge on molecular pathogenesis of cerebral vascular malformations (CVM), which are believed to arise during development, is very limited. To unravel the molecular mechanisms involved in CVMs, a detailed understanding of the brain vascular development at molecular level is crucial. In this study, we aimed to explore the temporal and comparative expression profile of angiogenesis-related genes in the establishment of brain vasculature. Methods Expression of a total of 113 angiogenesis-related genes during murine brain development has been analyzed using low-density array systems designed for angiogenesis-related genes. Bai1 (brain specific angiogenesis inhibitor-1), a recently identified novel anti-angiogenic gene, has been selected for further characterization. Results We found that 62 out of 113 analyzed genes have expression in brain development at varying levels. Nineteen of these were differentially expressed between embryonic and postnatal stages (>1.5 fold). Bai1 is strongly expressed on growing blood vessels of cerebral cortex and hippocampus, partially expressed in the lateral regions of striatum, but mostly absent on the thalamus. Conclusion By showing the comparative expression analysis of angiogenesis-related genes throughout brain development, the data presented here will be a crucial addition to further functional studies on cerebrovascular research.