Endothelial precursor cell migration during vasculogenesis

Migration of endothelial precursor cells ( so-called angioblasts in embryos and endothelial progenitor cells in adults) during vasculogenesis is a requirement for the formation of a primary vascular plexus. The migration is initiated by the change of endothelial precursors to their migratory phenotype. The endothelial precursor cells are then guided to the position where the primary vascular plexus is formed. Migration is stopped by the reversion of the cells to their nonmigratory phenotype. A combination of regulatory mechanisms and factors controls this process. These include gradients of soluble factors, extracellular matrix-cell interaction and cell-cell interaction. In this review, we give an overview of the regulation of angioblast migration during embryonic vasculogenesis and its relationship to the migration of endothelial progenitors during postnatal vascular development.