Endothelial cells (ECs) require glycolysis for proliferation and migration during angiogenesis; however, the necessity for the mitochondrial respiratory chain during angiogenesis is not known. In this study, we report that inhibition of respiratory chain complex III impairs proliferation, but not migration of ECs in vitro by decreasing the NAD+/NADH ratio. To determine whether mitochondrial respiration is necessary for angiogenesis in vivo, we conditionally ablated a subunit of the respiratory chain complex III (QPC) in ECs. Loss of QPC decreased respiration, resulting in diminished EC proliferation, and impairment in retinal and tumor angiogenesis. Loss of QPC did not decrease genes associated with anabolism or nucleotides levels in ECs, but diminished amino acid levels. Our findings indicate that mitochondrial respiration is necessary for angiogenesis, and that the primary role of mitochondria in ECs is to serve as biosynthetic organelles for cell proliferation.

Creator

• Diebold, Lauren P

DOI

• https://doi.org/10.21985/n2-sy98-yr20

Subject

• Cellular biology

Language

• en

Alternate Identifier

• etdadmin_upload_622203
• http://dissertations.umi.com/northwestern:14421

Keyword

• Angiogenesis
• Mitochondria

Date created

• 2018-01-01

Resource type

• Dissertation

Rights statement

• In Copyright