Victoria L. Bautch1,2,3 and Yoh-suke Mukouyama4 1Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA 2McAllister Heart Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA 3Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA 4Laboratory of Stem Cell and Neuro-Vascular Biology, Cell and Development Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA Correspondence: bautchmed.unc.edu

This review highlights new concepts in vascular patterning in the last 10 years, with emphasis on its beauty and complexity. Endothelial cell signaling pathways that respond to molecular or mechanical signals are described, and examples of vascular patterning that use these pathways in brain, skin, heart, and kidney are highlighted. The pathological consequences of patterning loss are discussed in the context of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), and prospects for the next 10 years presented.