Platelet-derived growth factor-B (PDGFB) is necessary for microvasculature formation, and loss of PDGFB or its receptor – PDGF receptor β(PDGFRβ) – causes a wide range of abnormalities in mice, including defects of the heart, kidney and placenta. The formation of functional new vessels requires the recruitment of vascular-smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and pericytes, both of which express PDGFRβ and are thought to be primary targets for PDGFB. Bjarnegård and co-workers(p. 1847) have now determined the source of PDGFB involved in this process. PDGFB is produced from several cell types, including platelets and macrophages, but, using Cre-lox techniques, the researchers show that it is PDGFB from the endothelium that is crucial for pericyte recruitment. Furthermore, the phenotype of endothelium-restricted Pdgfb knockout mice resembles diabetic microangiopathy, prompting the authors to suggest that endothelium-restricted PDGFB mutants could provide a useful model for vascular complications of diabetes.
History of our journals
As our publisher, The Company of Biologists, turns 100 years old, read about Development’s journey and highlights from some its first issues, and explore the history of each of our sister journals: Journal of Cell Science, Journal of Experimental Biology, Disease Models & Mechanisms and Biology Open.
Call for papers – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues
Development invites you to submit your latest research to our upcoming special issue – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues. This issue will be coordinated by Guest Editors Meritxell Huch (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Germany) and Mansi Srivastava (Harvard University and Museum of Comparative Zoology, USA), working alongside our team of academic Editors. Submit your articles by 15 May 2025.
A case for broadening our view of mechanism in developmental biology
In this Perspective, B. Duygu Özpolat and colleagues survey researchers on their views on what it takes to infer mechanism in developmental biology. They examine what factors shape our idea of what we mean by ‘mechanism’ and suggest a path forward that embraces a broad outlook on the diversity of studies that advance knowledge in our field.
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