Table 2. Animal Models with Coronary Vascular Defects.
| Gene | Animal Model |
Coronary Phenotype | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| α4 Integrin | Itga4−/− | Does not maintain epicardium | 19 |
| VCAM-1 | Vcam1−/− | Does not form epicardium | 20 |
| WT-1 | Wt1−/− | Does not form complete epicardium | 21 |
| Angiopoietin1 | MHC-Ang1 Transgenic |
Failure to maintain an intact epicardium | 95 |
| Podoplanin | Podo−/− | Delayed epicardial formation; partially detached epicardium |
26 |
| TGFβ Receptor III | Tgfbr3−/− | Excessive epicardial EMT; capillary plexus formation reduced |
25 |
| RXRα | RXRαf/f; GATA5-Cre |
Partially detached epicardium; thin sub-epicardial mesenchymal layer; reduced coronary branching |
28 |
| Erythropoietin Receptor |
EpoR−/− | Partially detached epicardium; PECAM-positive cells unable to form subepicardial vascular plexus |
38 |
| BAF180 | Pbrm1−/− | Attenuated epicardial EMT; PECAM-positive sub- epicardial nodules |
108 |
| Thymosin β4 | Tb4shRNAf; Nkx2.5-Cre |
Partially detached epicardium; Tie2-positive cells unable to form plexus; failed recruitment of coronary smooth muscle |
85 |
| Connexin 43 | Cx43−/− | Partially detached epicardium; decreased epicardial EMT and migration; perturbed capillary plexus remodeling |
88, 89 |
| FOG-2 | Zfpm2−/− | Epicardium intact; Does not form capillary plexus | 106, 107 |
| GATA4 | GATA4ki/ki | Epicardium intact; Does not form capillary plexus | 119 |
| p300 | p300+/AS | Delayed epicardial and capillary plexus formation | 109 |
| FGF9 | FGF9−/− | Delayed formation of the capillary plexus | 64 |
| FGF Receptors | FGFR1f/−; FGFR2f/−; Mlc2v-Cre |
Delayed formation of the capillary plexus | 64 |
| Hedgehog Signaling |
Smof/−; Mlc2v-Cre |
Absent sub-epicardial mesenchyme; failure to form coronary veins (EphB4-positive sub-epicardial vessels) |
16 |
| Smof/−; Dermo1-Cre |
Reduced intramyocardial arterial vessels (Ephrin B2- positive vessels) |
16 | |
| PDGF Receptor | Pdgfrb−/− | Decreased epicardial migration; no coronary vascular smooth muscle |
78, 83 |
| β-Catenin | Ctnnb1f/f; GATA5-Cre |
Thin sub-epicaridal mesenchymal layer; decreased migration of sub-epicardial mesenchymal cells; impaired differentiation of coronary arterial smooth muscle cells |
46 |
| ALK5 | Alk5f/−; GATA5-Cre |
Partially detached epicardium; increased capillary density; failed recruitment of coronary smooth muscle |
27 |
| Vangl2 | Lp/Lp | Reduced smooth muscle cell recruitment; aberrant sub-epicardial vessels |
87 |
| Smad6 | Smad6−/− | Dilated coronary vessels with reduced smooth muscle | 55, 56 |
| Tbx-1 | Tbx-1−/− | Abnormal patterning of proximal coronary arteries | 112 |