Figure 1.

Pericytes are ubiquitously present in blood capillaries. Confocal images of retinas from adult NG2DsREDBAC-transgenic mice stained with isloectin-B4 and α-SMA to reveal the vascular plexus (in blue) and to label the VSMCs (in green), respectively. VSMCs cover the arterioles and have a flattened, spindle-shaped appearance with few cytoplasmic processes. Pericytes (in red) appear to be ubiquitously present in blood capillaries and extend primary processes along the abluminal surface of the endothelial tube. White arrows indicate pericytes that are found at the capillary branch points where they extend processes along each vessel branch conferring a cellular Y-shape.