SFB / Transregio 23
"Vascular Differentiation and Remodeling"

Mannheim - Heidelberg - Frankfurt

PD Dr. Mirko Schmidt Research Group "Molecular Signal Transduction" Institute of Neurology (Edinger Institute) Neuroscience Center, Bldg. 89 J. W. Goethe University School of Medicine Heinrich-Hoffmann-Str. 7 D-60528 Frankfurt Phone: 0049 (0)69 6301 84157 Lab Homepage
	Mirko.Schmidt(at)kgu.de
A4: Regulation of vascular Notch signaling by EGFL7
During the first funding period we got an understanding on the molecular pathways affected by the protein EGF-like domain 7 (EGFL7), a novel endothelial cell-derived regulator of vessel development. We identified transmembrane receptors of the Notch family as EGFL7-binding proteins. Notch ligands like Jagged1 and Jagged2 were impeded in their Notch signal induction capacity in the presence of EGFL7. Further analyses identified EGFL7 as the first secreted mammalian Notch antagonist described so far. Our findings were analyzed for physiological significance in a biological model based on neural stem cells and are currently analyzed in the vascular system to reveal EGFL7’s relevance for vessel development.