Loss of Jagged1 in mature endothelial cells causes vascular dysfunction with alterations in smooth muscle phenotypes

Notch signaling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that functions via direct cell-cell contact. The Notch ligand Jagged1 (Jag1) has been extensively studied in vascular development, particularly for its role in smooth muscle cell maturation. Endothelial cell-expressed Jag1 is essential for blood vessel formation by signaling to nascent vascular smooth muscle cells and promoting their differentiation. Given the established importance of Jag1 in endothelial cell/smooth muscle crosstalk during development, we sought to determine the extent of this communication in the adult vasculature for blood vessel function and homeostasis. Comparative expression of EC-Jag1-deficient aortas with wild-type controls

Notch信号通路（Notch signaling）是一类进化上保守的信号通路，其通过细胞间直接接触发挥功能。Notch配体Jagged1（Jag1）已在血管发育领域得到广泛研究，尤其在平滑肌细胞成熟过程中的作用备受关注。由内皮细胞表达的Jag1可通过向新生血管平滑肌细胞传递信号并促进其分化，对血管生成至关重要。鉴于Jag1在发育阶段内皮细胞与平滑肌细胞串扰过程中的重要性已得到证实，本研究旨在探究该细胞通讯在成年血管系统中对血管功能与稳态的影响程度。本研究对内皮细胞Jag1缺陷型主动脉与野生型对照样本进行了表达比较分析。