Stromal cells expressing ephrin-B2 promote the growth and sprouting of ephrin-B2⁺ endothelial cells

Ephrin-B2 is a transmembrane ligand that is specifically expressed on arterial endothelial cells (ECs) and surrounding cells and interacts with multiple EphB class receptors. Conversely, EphB4, a specific receptor for ephrin-B2, is expressed on venous ECs, and both ephrin-B2 and EphB4 play essential roles in vascular development. The bidirectional signals between EphB4 and ephrin-B2 are thought to be specific for the interaction between arteries and veins and to regulate cell mixing and the making of particular boundaries. However, the molecular mechanism during vasculogenesis and angiogenesis remains unclear. Manipulative functional studies were performed on these proteins in an endothelial cell system. Using in vitro stromal cells (OP9 cells) and a paraaortic splanchnopleura (P-Sp) coculture system, these studies found that the stromal cells expressing ephrin-B2 promoted vascular network formation and ephrin-B2⁺ EC proliferation and that they also induced the recruitment and proliferation of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)-positive cells. Stromal cells expressing EphB4 inhibited vascular network formation, ephrin-B2⁺ EC proliferation, and α-SMA⁺ cell recruitment and proliferation. Thus, these data suggest that ephrin-B2 and EphB4 mediate reciprocal interactions between arterial and venous ECs and surrounding cells to form each characteristic vessel.