- Kim, Young-Woong;
- Zara, Greta;
- Kang, HyunJun;
- Branciamore, Sergio;
- O’Meally, Denis;
- Feng, Yuxin;
- Kuan, Chia-Yi;
- Luo, Yingjun;
- Nelson, Michael S;
- Brummer, Alex B;
- Rockne, Russell;
- Chen, Zhen Bouman;
- Zheng, Yi;
- Cardoso, Angelo A;
- Carlesso, Nadia
Heterogeneity of endothelial cell (EC) populations reflects their diverse functions in maintaining tissue's homeostasis. However, their phenotypic, molecular, and functional properties are not entirely mapped. We use the Tie2-CreERT2;Rosa26-tdTomato reporter mouse to trace, profile, and cultivate primary ECs from different organs. As paradigm platform, we use this strategy to study bone marrow endothelial cells (BMECs). Single-cell mRNA sequencing of primary BMECs reveals that their diversity and native molecular signatures is transitorily preserved in an ex vivo culture that conserves key cell-to-cell microenvironment interactions. Macrophages sustain BMEC cellular diversity and expansion and preserve sinusoidal-like BMECs ex vivo. Endomucin expression discriminates BMECs in populations exhibiting mutually exclusive properties and distinct sinusoidal/arterial and tip/stalk signatures. In contrast to arterial-like, sinusoidal-like BMECs are short-lived, form 2D-networks, contribute to in vivo angiogenesis, and support hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells in vitro. This platform can be extended to other organs' ECs to decode mechanistic information and explore therapeutics.