RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research Laboratory for Vascular Morphogenesis
Team Leader: Li-Kun Phng (Ph.D.)
Research Summary

The establishment of a blood vascular system is essential for the development of many tissues. Tissue vascularization frequently occurs through angiogenesis, which consists of many cellular processes including polarized collective cell migration, anastomosis and lumen formation.
My laboratory aims to unravel fundamental mechanisms that regulate endothelial cell dynamics and coordination during blood vessel morphogenesis. Previous studies on actin cytoskeleton revealed that specialized actin structures of different dynamics and subcellular localization drive distinct steps of vessel morphogenesis. In the future, we will 1) investigate how force regulates endothelial cell dynamics and vessel morphogenesis, and 2) identify new molecular regulators of vessel lumen formation. Our long-term goal is to understand how upstream angiogenic signals and haemodynamic forces regulate force generation in endothelial cells and their behavior.
Main Research Fields
- Biology
Related Research Fields
- Biological Sciences
Keywords
- Blood vessel formation
- Endothelial cell dynamics
- Zebrafish
Selected Publications
Papers with an asterisk(*) are based on research conducted outside of RIKEN.
- 1.*Gebala V, Collins R, Geudens I, Phng LK* and Gerhardt H* (*equal contribution):
"Blood flow drives lumen formation by inverse membrane blebbing during angiogenesis in vivo"
Nature Cell Biology 18(4), 443 - 451 (2016) - 2.*Franco CA, Jones ML, Bernabeu MO, Geudens I, Mathivet T, Rosa A, Lopes FM, Lima AP, Ragab A, Collins RT, Phng LK, Coveney PV and Gerhardt G:
"Dynamic endothelial cell rearrangements drive developmental vessel regression"
PLOS BIOLOGY 13(4):e1002125 (2015). - 3.*Phng LK, Gebala V, Bentley K, Philippides A, Wacker A, Mathivet T, Sauteur L, Stanchi S, HG Belting, Affolter M and Holger Gerhardt:
"Formin-mediated actin polymerization at endothelial junctions is required for vessel lumen formation and stabilization"
Developmental Cell 32, 123 - 132 (2015) - 4.*Phng LK*, Stanchi F and Gerhardt H* (*corresponding authors):
"Filopodia are dispensable for endothelial tip cell guidance"
Development 140, 4031 - 4040 (2013) - 5.*De Bock K, Georgiadou M, Schoors S, Kuchnio A, Wong BW, Cantelmo AR, Quaegebeur A, Ghesquière B, Cauwenberghs S, Eelen G, *Phng LK, Betz I, Tembuyser B, Brepoels K, Welti J, Geudens I, Segura I, Cruys B, Bifari F, Decimo I, Blanco R, Wyns S, Vangindertael J, Rocha S, Collins RT, Munck S, Daelemans D, Imamura H, Devlieger R, Rider M, Van Veldhoven PP, Schuit F, Bartrons R, Hofkens J, Fraisl P, Telang S, Deberardinis RJ, Schoonjans L, Vinckier S, Chesney J, Gerhardt H, Dewerchin M, Carmeliet P.
"Role of PFKFB3-driven glycolysis in vessel sprouting"
Cell 154, 651-663 (2013) - 6.*Guarani V, Deflorian G, Franco CA, Krüger M, Phng LK, Bentley K, Toussaint L, Dequiedt F, Mostoslavsky R, Schmidt MH, Zimmermann B, Brandes RP, Mione M, Westphal CH, Braun T, Zeiher AM, Gerhardt H, Dimmeler S, Potente M.
"Acetylation-dependent regulation of endothelial Notch signalling by the SIRT1 deacetylase"
Nature 473, 234-238 (2011) - 7.*Phng LK, Potente M, Leslie JD, Babbage J, Nyqvist D, Lobov I, Ondr JK, Rao S, Lang RA, Thurston G and Gerhardt H:
"Nrarp coordinates endothelial Notch and Wnt signalling to control vessel density in angiogenesis"
Developmental Cell 16, 70 - 82 (2009) - 8.*Hellström M, Phng LK, Hofmann JJ, Wallgard E, Coultas L, Lindblom P, Alva J, Nilsson AK, Karlsson L, Gaiano N, Yoon K, Rossant J, Ireula-Arispe ML, Kalén M, Gerhardt H and Betsholtz C:
"Dll4 signalling through Notch1 regulates formation of tip cells during angiogenesis"
Nature 445, 776 - 770 (2007)
Related Links
Lab Members
Principal investigator
- Li-Kun Phng
- Team Leader
Core members
- Igor Kondrychyn
- Research Scientist
- Swe Soe Maung Ye
- Special Postdoctoral Researcher
- Yan Chen
- Postdoctoral Researcher
- Haymar Wint
- Postdoctoral Researcher
- Guihua Chen
- Technical Staff II
- Mingzhao Hu
- Junior Research Associate
- Emi Taniguchi
- Assistant
Contact Information
2F, RIKEN BDR Developmental Biology Bldg.C,
2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku
Kobe, Hyogo
650-0047 Japan
Email: likun.phng [at] riken.jp