Sema4C Is Required for Vascular and Primary Motor Neuronal Patterning in Zebrafish.

Endothelial cells (ECs) and neurons share a number of common signaling pathways and molecular mediators to orchestrate directional migration and guide the pattern of the vascular network and nervous system. So far, research concerning the functional coupling between vascular and neuronal pathfinding remains insufficient. Semaphorin4C (sema4C), a member of class 4 semaphorins, is initially described in the nervous system, whose role has been demonstrated in diverse biological developments. The present study focused on the role of in the vascular and neural development process in zebrafish embryos. It confirmed that is expressed in both the nervous system and intersegmental vessels (ISVs) in zebrafish embryos by diverse expression analysis. It also showed that the knockdown of caused a serious pathfinding anomaly both in the ISVs and primary motor neurons (PMNs) of zebrafish embryos. In addition, overexpressing exogenous mRNA in morphants remarkably neutralized the defective pattern of the vascular and neural system. Collectively, this report suggests that acts as a dual guiding factor regulating vascular and neuronal development. These findings elucidate a new molecular mechanism underlying blood vessel and nerve development and might serve as groundwork for future research on functional coupling between both systems.