1: EMBO J. 1998 Jul 15;17(14):4029-45. 

The SCL gene specifies haemangioblast development from early mesoderm.

Gering M, Rodaway AR, Gottgens B, Patient RK, Green AR.

University of Cambridge, Department of Haematology, MRC Centre, Hills Road,
Cambridge CB2 2QH, UK.

The SCL gene encodes a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor that
is essential for the development of all haematopoietic lineages. SCL is also
expressed in endothelial cells, but its function is not essential for
specification of endothelial progenitors and the role of SCL in endothelial
development is obscure. We isolated the zebrafish SCL homologue and show that it
was co-expressed in early mesoderm with markers of haematopoietic, endothelial
and pronephric progenitors. Ectopic expression of SCL mRNA in zebrafish embryos
resulted in overproduction of common haematopoietic and endothelial precursors,
perturbation of vasculogenesis and concomitant loss of pronephric duct and
somitic tissue. Notochord and neural tube formation were unaffected. These
results provide the first evidence that SCL specifies formation of
haemangioblasts, the proposed common precursor of blood and endothelial
lineages. Our data also underline the striking similarities between the role of
SCL in haematopoiesis/vasculogenesis and the function of other bHLH proteins in
muscle and neural development.

PMID: 9670018 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


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