Blood and brain intertwined during development.

Abstract

Neurodevelopment![Figure][1] Vascularization helps brain progenitors grow. CREDIT: M. TATA ET AL. , PNAS 113 , 13414 (22 NOVEMEBER 2016) © 2016 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES During brain development, blood vasculature grows rapidly to keep up with growing brain tissue. Studying the mouse hindbrain, Tata et al. show how these events are coordinated. Peak angiogenesis during embryonic development correlates with a surge in mitotic activity of neural progenitor cells. Processes from these cells wrap around developing vessels or tag the perineural vascular plexus. The interaction depends on neuropilin-1 (NRP1), a cell surface receptor that is expressed in endothelial cells of the developing vasculature. Without NRP1, neural progenitor cells fail to proliferate normally, resulting in fewer than normal progenitors and compromising hindbrain growth. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 113, 13414 (2016). [1]: pending:yes