Arteriolar and venular patterning in retinas of mice selectively expressing VEGF isoforms

The murine VEGF gene is alternatively transcribed to yield the VEGF(120), VEGF(164), and VEGF(188) isoforms, which differ in their potential to bind to heparan sulfate and neuropilin-1 and to stimulate endothelial growth. Here, their role in retinal vascular development was studied in mice selectively expressing single isoforms. VEGF(164/164) mice were normal, healthy, and had normal retinal angiogenesis. In contrast, VEGF(120/120) mice exhibited severe defects in vascular outgrowth and patterning, whereas VEGF(188/188) mice displayed normal venular outgrowth but impaired arterial development. It is noteworthy that neuropilin-1, a receptor for VEGF(164), was predominantly expressed in retinal arterioles. These findings reveal distinct roles of the various VEGF isoforms in vascular patterning and arterial development in the retina.