Wnt/beta-catenin signaling controls development of the blood–brain barrier

  • The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is confined to the endothelium of brain capillaries and is indispensable for fluid homeostasis and neuronal function. In this study, we show that endothelial Wnt/beta-catenin (beta-cat) signaling regulates induction and maintenance of BBB characteristics during embryonic and postnatal development. Endothelial specific stabilization of beta-cat in vivo enhances barrier maturation, whereas inactivation of beta-cat causes significant down-regulation of claudin3 (Cldn3), up-regulation of plamalemma vesicle-associated protein, and BBB breakdown. Stabilization of beta-cat in primary brain endothelial cells (ECs) in vitro by N-terminal truncation or Wnt3a treatment increases Cldn3 expression, BBB-type tight junction formation, and a BBB characteristic gene signature. Loss of beta-cat or inhibition of its signaling abrogates this effect. Furthermore, stabilization of beta-cat also increased Cldn3 and barrier properties in nonbrain-derived ECs. These findings may open new therapeutic avenues to modulate endothelial barrier function and to limit the devastating effects of BBB breakdown.

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Author:Stefan LiebnerGND, Monica Corada, Thorsten Bangsow, Jane Babbage, Andrea Taddei, Cathrin Jacqueline CzupallaORCiDGND, Marco Reis, Angelina Felici, Hartwig Wolburg, Marcus Fruttiger, Makoto Mark Taketo, Harald von Melchner, Karl PlateGND, Holger Gerhardt, Elisabetta Dejana
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30-68153
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.200806024
ISSN:1540-8140
ISSN:0021-9525
Pubmed Id:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18955553
Parent Title (English):The journal of cell biology
Publisher:Rockefeller Univ. Press
Place of publication:New York, NY
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2009/08/10
Year of first Publication:2008
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2009/08/10
Volume:183
Issue:3
Page Number:9
First Page:409
Last Page:417
Note:
© 2008 Liebner et al. This article is distributed under the terms of an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike–No Mirror Sites license for the first six months after the publication date (see http://www.jcb.org/misc/terms.shtml). After six months it is available under a Creative Commons License (Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported license, as described at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/).
HeBIS-PPN:21474972X
Institutes:Medizin / Medizin
Dewey Decimal Classification:6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
Licence (German):License LogoCreative Commons - Namensnennung-Keine kommerzielle Nutzung-Weitergabe unter gleichen Bedingungen