The molecular mechanisms of Perlecan for vascular invasion in growth plate development

串珠素（Perl）是软骨发育所需的硫酸肝素蛋白聚糖。本研究探讨了Perl在生长板发育过程中对血管侵袭的作用，在Perl-/-生长板中，血管侵袭受到抑制时，VEGF表达增加。在器官培养实验中，加入FGF-FGFR抑制剂后，即使没有Perl，生长板也得到了扩张，这些数据表明Perl不仅通过调节FGF信号，而且通过调节VEGF功能，在生长板发育中对血管侵袭是必不可少的。

Perlecan (Perl) is a heparin sulfate proteoglycan required for cartilage development. This study investigated the role of Perl for vascular invasion in growth plate development.While the vascular invasion was inhibited, VEGF expression was increased in Perl-/- growth plate. In organ culture experiment, the growth plate was expanded by the addition of FGF-FGFR inhibitor even though the absence of Perl.These data indicate that Perl is essential for vascular invasion in growth plate development by not only modulating FGF signaling but also regulating VEGF function.