Parvins Are Required for Endothelial Cell-Cell Junctions and Cell Polarity During Embryonic Blood Vessel Formation.

OBJECTIVE: During vascular development, integrin-mediated signaling regulates the formation and stabilization of cell-cell junctions, which are required for endothelial cell (EC) apical-basal polarity and proper deposition of the vascular basement membrane. Parvins are actin-binding proteins that facilitate the interaction of integrins with the actin cytoskeleton. The endothelium expresses 2 parvin isoforms: α-pv (α-parvin) and ß-pv (ß-parvin). Recently, we have shown that α-pv is critical for vessel growth and vessel stability at late embryonic developmental stages. The role of parvins during early embryonic development is unknown. APPROACH AND RESULTS: To investigate the role of endothelial parvins in the developing vasculature, we generated mice with ECs lacking both parvin isoforms by deleting α-pv in ECs in global ß-pv-/- mice (α-pvΔEC;ß-pv-/- mice). Here, we show that α-pvΔEC;ß-pv-/- mice die around embryonic day 11.5 and exhibit hemorrhages, immature capillary beds, and severe vascular defects in the central nervous system, including reduced vessel branching, increased vessel diameter, and balloon-like hemorrhagic clusters of ECs. Vessels in α-pvΔEC;ß-pv-/- embryos display disorganized cell-cell junctions, impaired endothelial apical-basal polarity, and discontinuous basement membranes. These vascular defects are accompanied by defective pericyte-vessel interaction. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that parvins are critical for the organization of endothelial cell-cell junctions, the establishment of endothelial apical-basal polarity, and the integrity of the basement membrane.