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Liu Z, Liu K, Shi S, Chen X, Gu X, Wang W, Mao K, Yibulayi R, Wu W, Zeng L, Zhou W, Lin X, Zhang F, Lou B. Alkali injury-induced pathological lymphangiogenesis in the iris facilitates the infiltration of T cells and ocular inflammation. JCI Insight 2024; 9:e175479. [PMID: 38587075 PMCID: PMC11128208 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.175479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory lymphangiogenesis is intimately linked to immune regulation and tissue homeostasis. However, current evidence has suggested that classic lymphatic vessels are physiologically absent in intraocular structures. Here, we show that neolymphatic vessels were induced in the iris after corneal alkali injury (CAI) in a VEGFR3-dependent manner. Cre-loxP-based lineage tracing revealed that these lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) originate from existing Prox1+ lymphatic vessels. Notably, the ablation of iridial lymphangiogenesis via conditional deletion of VEGFR3 alleviated the ocular inflammatory response and pathological T cell infiltration. Our findings demonstrate that iridial neolymphatics actively participate in pathological immune responses following injury and suggest intraocular lymphangiogenesis as a valuable therapeutic target for the treatment of ocular inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Keli Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shunhua Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinyu Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weifa Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Keli Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rukeye Yibulayi
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wanwen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lei Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weibin Zhou
- Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaofeng Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bingsheng Lou
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
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Xu W, Nelson-Maney NP, Bálint L, Kwon HB, Davis RB, Dy DCM, Dunleavey JM, St. Croix B, Caron KM. Orphan G-Protein Coupled Receptor GPRC5B Is Critical for Lymphatic Development. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105712. [PMID: 35628521 PMCID: PMC9146384 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have focused on the molecular signaling pathways that govern the development and growth of lymphatics in the hopes of elucidating promising druggable targets. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are currently the largest family of membrane receptors targeted by FDA-approved drugs, but there remain many unexplored receptors, including orphan GPCRs with no known biological ligand or physiological function. Thus, we sought to illuminate the cadre of GPCRs expressed at high levels in lymphatic endothelial cells and identified four orphan receptors: GPRC5B, AGDRF5/GPR116, FZD8 and GPR61. Compared to blood endothelial cells, GPRC5B is the most abundant GPCR expressed in cultured human lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs), and in situ RNAscope shows high mRNA levels in lymphatics of mice. Using genetic engineering approaches in both zebrafish and mice, we characterized the function of GPRC5B in lymphatic development. Morphant gprc5b zebrafish exhibited failure of thoracic duct formation, and Gprc5b-/- mice suffered from embryonic hydrops fetalis and hemorrhage associated with subcutaneous edema and blood-filled lymphatic vessels. Compared to Gprc5+/+ littermate controls, Gprc5b-/- embryos exhibited attenuated developmental lymphangiogenesis. During the postnatal period, ~30% of Gprc5b-/- mice were growth-restricted or died prior to weaning, with associated attenuation of postnatal cardiac lymphatic growth. In cultured human primary LECs, expression of GPRC5B is required to maintain cell proliferation and viability. Collectively, we identify a novel role for the lymphatic-enriched orphan GPRC5B receptor in lymphangiogenesis of fish, mice and human cells. Elucidating the roles of orphan GPCRs in lymphatics provides new avenues for discovery of druggable targets to treat lymphatic-related conditions such as lymphedema and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Xu
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (W.X.); (N.P.N.-M.); (L.B.); (H.-B.K.); (R.B.D.); (D.C.M.D.)
| | - Nathan P. Nelson-Maney
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (W.X.); (N.P.N.-M.); (L.B.); (H.-B.K.); (R.B.D.); (D.C.M.D.)
| | - László Bálint
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (W.X.); (N.P.N.-M.); (L.B.); (H.-B.K.); (R.B.D.); (D.C.M.D.)
| | - Hyouk-Bum Kwon
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (W.X.); (N.P.N.-M.); (L.B.); (H.-B.K.); (R.B.D.); (D.C.M.D.)
| | - Reema B. Davis
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (W.X.); (N.P.N.-M.); (L.B.); (H.-B.K.); (R.B.D.); (D.C.M.D.)
| | - Danielle C. M. Dy
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (W.X.); (N.P.N.-M.); (L.B.); (H.-B.K.); (R.B.D.); (D.C.M.D.)
| | - James M. Dunleavey
- Tumor Angiogenesis Unit, Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, National Cancer Institute–Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (J.M.D.); (B.S.C.)
| | - Brad St. Croix
- Tumor Angiogenesis Unit, Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, National Cancer Institute–Frederick, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (J.M.D.); (B.S.C.)
| | - Kathleen M. Caron
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (W.X.); (N.P.N.-M.); (L.B.); (H.-B.K.); (R.B.D.); (D.C.M.D.)
- Correspondence:
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