scholarly journals GATA2 controls lymphatic endothelial cell junctional integrity and lymphovenous valve morphogenesis through miR-126

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Riaj Mahamud ◽  
Xin Geng ◽  
Yen-Chun Ho ◽  
Boksik Cha ◽  
Yuenhee Kim ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTMutations in the transcription factor GATA2 cause lymphedema. GATA2 is necessary for the development of lymphatic valves (LVs) and lymphovenous valves (LVVs), and for the patterning of lymphatic vessels. Here, we report that GATA2 is not necessary for valvular endothelial cell (VEC) differentiation. Instead, GATA2 is required for VEC maintenance and morphogenesis. GATA2 is also necessary for the expression of cell junction molecules VE-Cadherin and Claudin5 in lymphatic vessels. We identified miR-126 as a target of GATA2, and miR-126−/− embryos recapitulate the phenotypes of mice lacking GATA2. Primary human lymphatic endothelial cells (HLECs) lacking GATA2 (GATA2ΔHLEC) have altered expression of Claudin5 and VE-Cadherin, and blocking miR-126 activity in HLECs phenocopies these changes in expression. Importantly, overexpression of miR-126 in GATA2ΔHLEC significantly rescues the cell junction defects. Thus, our work defines a new mechanism of GATA2 and uncovers miR-126 as a novel regulator of mammalian lymphatic vascular development.Non-standard abbreviationsLECs, lymphatic endothelial cells; LVs, lymphatic valves; LV-ECs, lymphatic valve-forming endothelial cells; LVVs, lymphovenous valves; LVV-ECs, lymphovenous valve-forming endothelial cells; HLEC, primary human LECs; OSS, Oscillatory shear stress; IHC, immunohistochemistry.

Angiogenesis ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corina Marziano ◽  
Gael Genet ◽  
Karen K. Hirschi

AbstractThere are two vascular networks in mammals that coordinately function as the main supply and drainage systems of the body. The blood vasculature carries oxygen, nutrients, circulating cells, and soluble factors to and from every tissue. The lymphatic vasculature maintains interstitial fluid homeostasis, transports hematopoietic cells for immune surveillance, and absorbs fat from the gastrointestinal tract. These vascular systems consist of highly organized networks of specialized vessels including arteries, veins, capillaries, and lymphatic vessels that exhibit different structures and cellular composition enabling distinct functions. All vessels are composed of an inner layer of endothelial cells that are in direct contact with the circulating fluid; therefore, they are the first responders to circulating factors. However, endothelial cells are not homogenous; rather, they are a heterogenous population of specialized cells perfectly designed for the physiological demands of the vessel they constitute. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge of the specification of arterial, venous, capillary, and lymphatic endothelial cell identities during vascular development. We also discuss how the dysregulation of these processes can lead to vascular malformations, and therapeutic approaches that have been developed for their treatment.


2008 ◽  
Vol 82 (17) ◽  
pp. 8771-8779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie A. Morris ◽  
Almira S. Punjabi ◽  
Michael Lagunoff

ABSTRACT Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is the most common tumor of AIDS patients worldwide. KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the infectious cause of this highly vascularized skin tumor. The main cell type found within a KS lesion, the spindle cell, is latently infected with KSHV and has markers of both blood and lymphatic endothelial cells. During development, lymphatic endothelial cells differentiate from preexisting blood endothelial cells. Interestingly, KSHV infection of blood endothelial cells induces lymphatic endothelial cell differentiation. Here, we show that KSHV gene expression is necessary to maintain the expression of the lymphatic markers vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR-3) and podoplanin. KSHV infection activates many cell signaling pathways in endothelial cells and persistently activates STAT3 through the gp130 receptor, the common receptor of the interleukin 6 family of cytokines. We find that KSHV infection also activates the phosphatidylinositol 3-OH-kinase (PI3K)/Akt cell signaling pathway in latently infected endothelial cells and that gp130 receptor signaling is necessary for Akt activation. Using both pharmacological inhibitors and small interfering RNA knockdown, we show that the gp130 receptor-mediated activation of both the JAK2/STAT3 and PI3K/Akt cell signaling pathways is necessary for KSHV-induced lymphatic reprogramming of endothelial cells. The induction of the lymphatic endothelial cell-specific transcription factor Prox1 is also involved in KSHV-induced lymphatic reprogramming. The activation of gp130 receptor signaling is a novel mechanism for the differentiation of blood endothelial cells into lymphatic endothelial cells and may be relevant to the developmental or pathological differentiation of lymphatic endothelial cells as well as to KSHV pathogenesis.


Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (13) ◽  
pp. 2395-2401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Kazenwadel ◽  
Michael Z. Michael ◽  
Natasha L. Harvey

Abstract The specification of arterial, venous, and lymphatic endothelial cell fate is critical during vascular development. Although the homeobox transcription factor, Prox1, is crucial for the specification and maintenance of lymphatic endothelial cell identity, little is known regarding the mechanisms that regulate Prox1 expression. Here we demonstrate that miR-181a binds the 3′ untranslated region of Prox1, resulting in translational inhibition and transcript degradation. Increased miR-181a activity in primary embryonic lymphatic endothelial cells resulted in substantially reduced levels of Prox1 mRNA and protein and reprogramming of lymphatic endothelial cells toward a blood vascular phenotype. Conversely, treatment of primary embryonic blood vascular endothelial cells with miR-181a antagomir resulted in increased Prox1 mRNA levels. miR-181a expression is significantly higher in embryonic blood vascular endothelial cells compared with lymphatic endothelial cells, suggesting that miR-181 activity could be an important mechanism by which Prox1 expression is silenced in the blood vasculature during development. Our work is the first example of a microRNA that targets Prox1 and has implications for the control of Prox1 expression during vascular development and neo-lymphangiogenesis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 317 (4) ◽  
pp. F1022-F1033 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Zhuo ◽  
Dong Zhou ◽  
Yuanyuan Wang ◽  
Hongyan Mo ◽  
Ying Yu ◽  
...  

Kidney fibrosis is associated with an increased lymphangiogenesis, characterized by the formation and expansion of new lymphatic vessels. However, the trigger and underlying mechanism responsible for the growth of lymphatic vessels in diseased kidney remain poorly defined. Here, we report that tubule-derived sonic hedgehog (Shh) ligand is a novel lymphangiogenic factor that plays a crucial role in mediating lymphatic endothelial cell proliferation and expansion. Shh was induced in renal tubular epithelium in various models of fibrotic chronic kidney disease, and this was accompanied by an expansion of lymphatic vessels in adjacent areas. In vitro, Shh selectively promoted the proliferation of human dermal lymphatic endothelial cells (HDLECs) but not human umbilical vein endothelial cells, as assessed by cell counting, MTT assay, and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation. Shh also induced the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3, cyclin D1, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in HDLECs. Shh did not affect the expression of Gli1, the downstream target and readout of canonical hedgehog signaling, but activated ERK-1/2 in HDLECs. Inhibition of Smoothened with small-molecule inhibitor or blockade of ERK-1/2 activation abolished the lymphatic endothelial cell proliferation induced by Shh. In vivo, inhibition of Smoothened also repressed lymphangiogenesis and attenuated renal fibrosis. This study identifies Shh as a novel mitogen that selectively promotes lymphatic, but not vascular, endothelial cell proliferation and suggests that tubule-derived Shh plays an essential role in mediating lymphangiogenesis after kidney injury.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (33) ◽  
pp. eaav1263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanbao Xiong ◽  
Wenji Piao ◽  
C. Colin Brinkman ◽  
Lushen Li ◽  
Joseph M. Kulinski ◽  
...  

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) and S1P receptors (S1PRs) regulate migration of lymphocytes out of thymus to blood and lymph nodes (LNs) to efferent lymph, whereas their role in other tissue sites is not known. Here, we investigated the question of how these molecules regulate leukocyte migration from tissues through afferent lymphatics to draining LNs (dLNs). S1P, but not other chemokines, selectively enhanced human and murine CD4 T cell migration across lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). T cell S1PR1 and S1PR4, and LEC S1PR2, were required for migration across LECs and into lymphatic vessels and dLNs. S1PR1 and S1PR4 differentially regulated T cell motility and vascular cell adhesion molecule–1 (VCAM-1) binding. S1PR2 regulated LEC layer structure, permeability, and expression of the junction molecules VE-cadherin, occludin, and zonulin-1 through the ERK pathway. S1PR2 facilitated T cell transcellular migration through VCAM-1 expression and recruitment of T cells to LEC migration sites. These results demonstrated distinct roles for S1PRs in comodulating T cell and LEC functions in migration and suggest previously unknown levels of regulation of leukocytes and endothelial cells during homeostasis and immunity.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Kim ◽  
John A. Cooper

AbstractSeptins play an important role in regulating the barrier function of the endothelial monolayer of the microvasculature. Depletion of septin 2 protein alters the organization of vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin at cell-cell adherens junctions as well as the dynamics of membrane protrusions at endothelial cell-cell contact sites. Here, we report the discovery that localization of septin 2 at endothelial cell junctions is important for the distribution of a number of other junctional molecules. We also found that treatment of microvascular endothelial cells with the inflammatory mediator TNF-α led to sequestration of septin 2 away from cell junctions and into the cytoplasm, without an effect on the overall level of septin 2 protein. Interestingly, TNF-α treatment of endothelial monolayers produced effects similar to those of depletion of septin 2 on various molecular components of adherens junctions (AJs) and tight junctions (TJs). Immunofluorescence staining revealed disruption of the integrity of AJs and TJs at cell-cell junctions without significant changes in protein expression except for VE-cadherin and nectin-2. To investigate the mechanism of junctional localization of septin 2, we mutated the polybasic motif of septin 2, which is proposed to interact with PIP2 in the plasma membrane. Overexpression of PIP2-binding mutant (PIP2BM) septin 2 led to loss of septin 2 from cell junctions with accumulation in the cytoplasm. This redistribution of septin 2 away from the membrane led to effects on cell junction molecules similar to those observed for depletion of septin 2. We conclude that septin localization to the membrane is essential for function and that septins support the localization of multiple cell junction molecules in endothelial cells.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 2085-2098
Author(s):  
Cristiana Marcozzi ◽  
Annalisa Frattini ◽  
Marina Borgese ◽  
Federica Rossi ◽  
Ludovica Barone ◽  
...  

Aim: The proposal of this study was to evaluate, in vitro, the potential paracrine effect of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) to promote lymphangiogenesis in lymphatic endothelial cells isolated from rat diaphragmatic lymphatic vessels. Materials & methods: ELISA on VEGFA, VEGFC and IL6 in hASC-conditioned medium; LYVE1 immunostaining; and gene expression of PROX1, VEGFR3, VEGFC, VEGFA and IL6 were the methods used. Results: In 2D culture, hASC-conditioned medium was able to promote lymphatic endothelial cell survival, maintenance of endothelial cobblestone morphology and induction to form a vessel-like structure. Conclusion: The authors' results represent in vitro evidence of the paracrine effect of hASCs on lymphatic endothelial cells, suggesting the possible role of hASC-conditioned medium in developing new therapeutic approaches for lymphatic system-related dysfunction such as secondary lymphedema.


eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maike Frye ◽  
Simon Stritt ◽  
Henrik Ortsäter ◽  
Magda Hernandez Vasquez ◽  
Mika Kaakinen ◽  
...  

Endothelial integrity is vital for homeostasis and adjusted to tissue demands. Although fluid uptake by lymphatic capillaries is a critical attribute of the lymphatic vasculature, the barrier function of collecting lymphatic vessels is also important by ensuring efficient fluid drainage as well as lymph node delivery of antigens and immune cells. Here, we identified the transmembrane ligand EphrinB2 and its receptor EphB4 as critical homeostatic regulators of collecting lymphatic vessel integrity. Conditional gene deletion in mice revealed that EphrinB2/EphB4 signalling is dispensable for blood endothelial barrier function, but required for stabilization of lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) junctions in different organs of juvenile and adult mice. Studies in primary human LECs further showed that basal EphrinB2/EphB4 signalling controls junctional localisation of the tight junction protein CLDN5 and junction stability via Rac1/Rho-mediated regulation of cytoskeletal contractility. EphrinB2/EphB4 signalling therefore provides a potential therapeutic target to selectively modulate lymphatic vessel permeability and function.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 3955
Author(s):  
László Bálint ◽  
Zoltán Jakus

Our understanding of the function and development of the lymphatic system is expanding rapidly due to the identification of specific molecular markers and the availability of novel genetic approaches. In connection, it has been demonstrated that mechanical forces contribute to the endothelial cell fate commitment and play a critical role in influencing lymphatic endothelial cell shape and alignment by promoting sprouting, development, maturation of the lymphatic network, and coordinating lymphatic valve morphogenesis and the stabilization of lymphatic valves. However, the mechanosignaling and mechanotransduction pathways involved in these processes are poorly understood. Here, we provide an overview of the impact of mechanical forces on lymphatics and summarize the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the mechanosensation and mechanotransduction by lymphatic endothelial cells. We also discuss how these mechanosensitive pathways affect endothelial cell fate and regulate lymphatic development and function. A better understanding of these mechanisms may provide a deeper insight into the pathophysiology of various diseases associated with impaired lymphatic function, such as lymphedema and may eventually lead to the discovery of novel therapeutic targets for these conditions.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document