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Nozawa A, Abe T, Niihori T, Ozeki M, Aoki Y, Ohnishi H. Lymphatic endothelial cell-specific NRAS p.Q61R mutant embryos show abnormal lymphatic vessel morphogenesis. Hum Mol Genet 2024; 33:1420-1428. [PMID: 38743908 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddae080] [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: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Generalized lymphatic anomaly (GLA) and kaposiform lymphangiomatosis (KLA) are rare congenital disorders that arise through anomalous embryogenesis of the lymphatic system. A somatic activating NRAS p.Q61R variant has been recently detected in GLA and KLA tissues, suggesting that the NRAS p.Q61R variant plays an important role in the development of these diseases. To address this role, we studied the effect of the NRAS p.Q61R variant in lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) on the structure of the lymphatics during embryonic and postnatal lymphangiogenesis applying inducible, LEC-specific NRAS p.Q61R variant in mice. Lox-stop-Lox NrasQ61R mice were crossed with Prox1-CreERT2 mice expressing tamoxifen-inducible Cre recombinase specifically in LECs. Whole-mount immunostaining of embryonic back skin using an antibody against the LEC surface marker VEGFR3 showed considerably greater lymphatic vessel width in LEC-specific NRAS p.Q61R mutant embryos than in littermate controls. These mutant embryos also showed a significant reduction in the number of lymphatic vessel branches. Furthermore, immunofluorescence staining of whole-mount embryonic back skin using an antibody against the LEC-specific nuclear marker Prox1 showed a large increase in the number of LECs in LEC-specific NRAS p.Q61R mutants. In contrast, postnatal induction of the NRAS p.Q61R variant in LECs did not cause abnormal lymphatic vessel morphogenesis. These results suggest that the NRAS p.Q61R variant in LECs plays a role in development of lymphatic anomalies. While this model does not directly reflect the human pathology of GLA and KLA, there are overlapping features, suggesting that further study of this model may help in studying GLA and KLA mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akifumi Nozawa
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan
| | - Taiki Abe
- Department of Medical Genetics, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Sendai 980-8574, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Niihori
- Department of Medical Genetics, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Sendai 980-8574, Japan
| | - Michio Ozeki
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan
- Center for One Medicine Innovative Translational Research (COMIT), Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido,Gifu 501-1194, Japan
| | - Yoko Aoki
- Department of Medical Genetics, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Sendai 980-8574, Japan
| | - Hidenori Ohnishi
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan
- Center for One Medicine Innovative Translational Research (COMIT), Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido,Gifu 501-1194, Japan
- Clinical Genetics Center, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido,Gifu501-1194, Japan
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2
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Poulos MG, Ramalingam P, Winiarski A, Gutkin MC, Katsnelson L, Carter C, Pibouin-Fragner L, Eichmann A, Thomas JL, Miquerol L, Butler JM. Complementary and Inducible creER T2 Mouse Models for Functional Evaluation of Endothelial Cell Subtypes in the Bone Marrow. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2024; 20:1135-1149. [PMID: 38438768 PMCID: PMC11087254 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-024-10703-9] [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] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
In the adult bone marrow (BM), endothelial cells (ECs) are an integral component of the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)-supportive niche, which modulates HSC activity by producing secreted and membrane-bound paracrine signals. Within the BM, distinct vascular arteriole, transitional, and sinusoidal EC subtypes display unique paracrine expression profiles and create anatomically-discrete microenvironments. However, the relative contributions of vascular endothelial subtypes in supporting hematopoiesis is unclear. Moreover, constitutive expression and off-target activity of currently available endothelial-specific and endothelial-subtype-specific murine cre lines potentially confound data analysis and interpretation. To address this, we describe two tamoxifen-inducible cre-expressing lines, Vegfr3-creERT2 and Cx40-creERT2, that efficiently label sinusoidal/transitional and arteriole endothelium respectively in adult marrow, without off-target activity in hematopoietic or perivascular cells. Utilizing an established mouse model in which cre-dependent recombination constitutively-activates MAPK signaling within adult endothelium, we identify arteriole ECs as the driver of MAPK-mediated hematopoietic dysfunction. These results define complementary tamoxifen-inducible creERT2-expressing mouse lines that label functionally-discrete and non-overlapping sinusoidal/transitional and arteriole EC populations in the adult BM, providing a robust toolset to investigate the differential contributions of vascular subtypes in maintaining hematopoietic homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Poulos
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida Health Cancer Center, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Florida, 1333 Center Drive, BH-022D, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Pradeep Ramalingam
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida Health Cancer Center, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Florida, 1333 Center Drive, BH-022D, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Agatha Winiarski
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida Health Cancer Center, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Michael C Gutkin
- Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Lizabeth Katsnelson
- Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Cody Carter
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida Health Cancer Center, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | | | - Anne Eichmann
- Université de Paris Cité, Inserm, PARCC, 75015, Paris, France
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Jean-Leon Thomas
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- Paris Brain Institute, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris, 06 UMRS1127, Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute, Paris, France
| | - Lucile Miquerol
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS UMR 7288, IBDM, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Jason M Butler
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida Health Cancer Center, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Florida, 1333 Center Drive, BH-022D, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
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3
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Modaghegh MHS, Tanzadehpanah H, Kamyar MM, Manoochehri H, Sheykhhasan M, Forouzanfar F, Mahmoudian RA, Lotfian E, Mahaki H. The role of key biomarkers in lymphatic malformation: An updated review. J Gene Med 2024; 26:e3665. [PMID: 38375969 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.3665] [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: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The lymphatic system, crucial for tissue fluid balance and immune surveillance, can be severely impacted by disorders that hinder its activities. Lymphatic malformations (LMs) are caused by fluid accumulation in tissues owing to defects in lymphatic channel formation, the obstruction of lymphatic vessels or injury to lymphatic tissues. Somatic mutations, varying in symptoms based on lesions' location and size, provide insights into their molecular pathogenesis by identifying LMs' genetic causes. In this review, we collected the most recent findings about the role of genetic and inflammatory biomarkers in LMs that control the formation of these malformations. A thorough evaluation of the literature from 2000 to the present was conducted using the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Although it is obvious that the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 mutation accounts for a significant proportion of LM patients, several mutations in other genes thought to be linked to LM have also been discovered. Also, inflammatory mediators like interleukin-6, interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and mammalian target of rapamycin are the most commonly associated biomarkers with LM. Understanding the mutations and genes expression responsible for the abnormalities in lymphatic endothelial cells could lead to novel therapeutic strategies based on molecular pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hamid Tanzadehpanah
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mohammad Mahdi Kamyar
- Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hamed Manoochehri
- The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Mohsen Sheykhhasan
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Forouzanfar
- Clinical Research Development Unit, Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Reihaneh Alsadat Mahmoudian
- Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Cancer Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Elham Lotfian
- Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hanie Mahaki
- Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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Fernandes LM, Tresemer J, Zhang J, Rios JJ, Scallan JP, Dellinger MT. Hyperactive KRAS/MAPK signaling disrupts normal lymphatic vessel architecture and function. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1276333. [PMID: 37842094 PMCID: PMC10571159 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1276333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Complex lymphatic anomalies (CLAs) are sporadically occurring diseases caused by the maldevelopment of lymphatic vessels. We and others recently reported that somatic activating mutations in KRAS can cause CLAs. However, the mechanisms by which activating KRAS mutations cause CLAs are poorly understood. Here, we show that KRASG12D expression in lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) during embryonic development impairs the formation of lymphovenous valves and causes the enlargement of lymphatic vessels. We demonstrate that KRASG12D expression in primary human LECs induces cell spindling, proliferation, and migration. It also increases AKT and ERK1/2 phosphorylation and decreases the expression of genes that regulate the maturation of lymphatic vessels. We show that MEK1/2 inhibition with the FDA-approved drug trametinib suppresses KRASG12D-induced morphological changes, proliferation, and migration. Trametinib also decreases ERK1/2 phosphorylation and increases the expression of genes that regulate the maturation of lymphatic vessels. We also show that trametinib and Cre-mediated expression of a dominant-negative form of MEK1 (Map2k1 K97M) suppresses KRASG12D-induced lymphatic vessel hyperplasia in embryos. Last, we demonstrate that conditional knockout of wild-type Kras in LECs does not affect the formation or function of lymphatic vessels. Together, our data indicate that KRAS/MAPK signaling must be tightly regulated during embryonic development for the proper development of lymphatic vessels and further support the testing of MEK1/2 inhibitors for treating CLAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo M. Fernandes
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Jeffrey Tresemer
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Jing Zhang
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Jonathan J. Rios
- Center for Pediatric Bone Biology and Translational Research, Scottish Rite for Children, Dallas, TX, United States
- McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Joshua P. Scallan
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Michael T. Dellinger
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
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5
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Meng Y, Lv T, Zhang J, Shen W, Li L, Li Y, Liu X, Lei X, Lin X, Xu H, Meng A, Jia S. Temporospatial inhibition of Erk signaling is required for lymphatic valve formation. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:342. [PMID: 37691058 PMCID: PMC10493226 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01571-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Intraluminal lymphatic valves (LVs) and lymphovenous valves (LVVs) are critical to ensure the unidirectional flow of lymphatic fluid. Morphological abnormalities in these valves always cause lymph or blood reflux, and result in lymphedema. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of valve development remains poorly understood. We here report the implication of Efnb2-Ephb4-Rasa1 regulated Erk signaling axis in lymphatic valve development with identification of two new valve structures. Dynamic monitoring of phospho-Erk activity indicated that Erk signaling is spatiotemporally inhibited in some lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) during the valve cell specification. Inhibition of Erk signaling via simultaneous depletion of zygotic erk1 and erk2 or treatment with MEK inhibitor selumetinib causes lymphatic vessel hypoplasia and lymphatic valve hyperplasia, suggesting opposite roles of Erk signaling during these two processes. ephb4b mutants, efnb2a;efnb2b or rasa1a;rasa1b double mutants all have defective LVs and LVVs and exhibit blood reflux into lymphatic vessels with an edema phenotype. Importantly, the valve defects in ephb4b or rasa1a;rasa1b mutants are mitigated with high-level gata2 expression in the presence of MEK inhibitors. Therefore, Efnb2-Ephb4 signaling acts to suppress Erk activation in valve-forming cells to promote valve specification upstream of Rasa1. Not only do our findings reveal a molecular mechanism of lymphatic valve formation, but also provide a basis for the treatment of lymphatic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Tong Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Junfeng Zhang
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, 510320, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Weimin Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Lifang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yaqi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xing Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xuguang Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Hanfang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Anming Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, 510320, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Shunji Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
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6
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Sheppard SE, March ME, Seiler C, Matsuoka LS, Kim SE, Kao C, Rubin AI, Battig MR, Khalek N, Schindewolf E, O’Connor N, Pinto E, Priestley JR, Sanders VR, Niazi R, Ganguly A, Hou C, Slater D, Frieden IJ, Huynh T, Shieh JT, Krantz ID, Guerrero JC, Surrey LF, Biko DM, Laje P, Castelo-Soccio L, Nakano TA, Snyder K, Smith CL, Li D, Dori Y, Hakonarson H. Lymphatic disorders caused by mosaic, activating KRAS variants respond to MEK inhibition. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e155888. [PMID: 37154160 PMCID: PMC10243805 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.155888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Central conducting lymphatic anomaly (CCLA) due to congenital maldevelopment of the lymphatics can result in debilitating and life-threatening disease with limited treatment options. We identified 4 individuals with CCLA, lymphedema, and microcystic lymphatic malformation due to pathogenic, mosaic variants in KRAS. To determine the functional impact of these variants and identify a targeted therapy for these individuals, we used primary human dermal lymphatic endothelial cells (HDLECs) and zebrafish larvae to model the lymphatic dysplasia. Expression of the p.Gly12Asp and p.Gly13Asp variants in HDLECs in a 2‑dimensional (2D) model and 3D organoid model led to increased ERK phosphorylation, demonstrating these variants activate the RAS/MAPK pathway. Expression of activating KRAS variants in the venous and lymphatic endothelium in zebrafish resulted in lymphatic dysplasia and edema similar to the individuals in the study. Treatment with MEK inhibition significantly reduced the phenotypes in both the organoid and the zebrafish model systems. In conclusion, we present the molecular characterization of the observed lymphatic anomalies due to pathogenic, somatic, activating KRAS variants in humans. Our preclinical studies suggest that MEK inhibition should be studied in future clinical trials for CCLA due to activating KRAS pathogenic variants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Christoph Seiler
- Zebrafish Core, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | | | - Adam I. Rubin
- Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Nahla Khalek
- Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment and
| | | | | | - Erin Pinto
- Jill and Mark Fishman Center for Lymphatic Disorders, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | - Rojeen Niazi
- Genetic Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Arupa Ganguly
- Genetic Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Joseph T. Shieh
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ian D. Krantz
- Division of Human Genetics, and
- Roberts Individualized Medical Genetics Center, Division of Human Genetics
| | | | | | | | | | - Leslie Castelo-Soccio
- Dermatology Section, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Taizo A. Nakano
- Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Kristen Snyder
- Division of Oncology, Cancer Center, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Christopher L. Smith
- Jill and Mark Fishman Center for Lymphatic Disorders, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Yoav Dori
- Jill and Mark Fishman Center for Lymphatic Disorders, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Nakano TA, Rankin AW, Annam A, Kulungowski AM, McCallen LM, Hill LR, Chatfield KC. Trametinib for Refractory Chylous Effusions and Systemic Complications in Children with Noonan Syndrome. J Pediatr 2022; 248:81-88.e1. [PMID: 35605646 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2022.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of the RAS-MAPK pathway inhibitor trametinib on medically refractory chylous effusions in 3 hospitalized patients with Noonan syndrome. STUDY DESIGN Pharmacologic MEK1/2 inhibition has been used to treat conditions associated with Noonan syndrome, given that activation of RAS-MAPK pathway variants leads to downstream MEK activation. We describe our experience with 3 patients with Noonan syndrome (owing to variants in 3 distinct genes) and refractory chylous effusions treated successfully with MEK inhibition. A monitoring protocol was established to standardize medication dosing and monitoring of outcome measures. RESULTS Subjects demonstrated improvement in lymphatic leak with additional findings of improved growth and normalization of cardiac and hematologic measurements. Trametinib was administered safely, with only moderate skin irritation in 1 subject. CONCLUSIONS Improvements in a variety of quantifiable measurements highlight the potential utility of MEK1/2 inhibition in patients with Noonan syndrome and life-threatening lymphatic disease. Larger, prospective studies are needed to confirm efficacy and assess long-term safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taizo A Nakano
- Vascular Anomalies Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO; Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO
| | - Alexander W Rankin
- Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO
| | - Aparna Annam
- Vascular Anomalies Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO; Department of Pediatric Radiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO
| | - Ann M Kulungowski
- Vascular Anomalies Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO; Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO
| | - Leslie M McCallen
- Vascular Anomalies Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO; Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO
| | - Lauren R Hill
- Vascular Anomalies Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO
| | - Kathryn C Chatfield
- Vascular Anomalies Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO; Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO.
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8
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Sugiyama A, Hirashima M. Fetal nuchal edema and developmental anomalies caused by gene mutations in mice. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:949013. [PMID: 36111337 PMCID: PMC9468611 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.949013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal nuchal edema, a subcutaneous accumulation of extracellular fluid in the fetal neck, is detected as increased nuchal translucency (NT) by ultrasonography in the first trimester of pregnancy. It has been demonstrated that increased NT is associated with chromosomal anomalies and genetic syndromes accompanied with fetal malformations such as defective lymphatic vascular development, cardiac anomalies, anemia, and a wide range of other fetal anomalies. However, in many clinical cases of increased NT, causative genes, pathogenesis and prognosis have not been elucidated in humans. On the other hand, a large number of gene mutations have been reported to induce fetal nuchal edema in mouse models. Here, we review the relationship between the gene mutants causing fetal nuchal edema with defective lymphatic vascular development, cardiac anomalies, anemia and blood vascular endothelial barrier anomalies in mice. Moreover, we discuss how studies using gene mutant mouse models will be useful in developing diagnostic method and predicting prognosis.
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9
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Wolter JK, Valencia-Sama I, Osborn AJ, Propst EJ, Irwin MS, Papsin B, Wolter NE. Combination mTOR and SHP2 inhibitor treatment of lymphatic malformation endothelial cells. Microvasc Res 2022; 143:104397. [PMID: 35671835 DOI: 10.1016/j.mvr.2022.104397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors are clinically effective at treating some complex lymphatic malformations (LM). The mTOR inhibitor rapamycin blocks the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, which is commonly mutated in this condition. Although rapamycin is effective at controlling symptoms of LM, treatment courses are long, not all LMs respond to treatment, and many patients relapse after treatment has stopped. Concurrent rat sarcoma virus (RAS) pathway abnormalities have been identified in LM, which may limit the effectiveness of rapamycin. Protein tyrosine phosphatase-2 (SHP2) controls the RAS pathway upstream, and SHP2 inhibitors are being investigated for treatment of various tumors. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of SHP2 inhibition in combination with rapamycin on LM growth in vitro. Using primary patient cells isolated from a surgically resected LM, we found that combination treatment with rapamycin and the SHP2 inhibitor SHP099 caused a synergistic reduction in cell growth, migration and lymphangiogenesis. These results suggest that combination treatment targeting the PI3K and RAS signaling pathways may result in effective treatment of LMs of the head and neck.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K Wolter
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Alex J Osborn
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Evan J Propst
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Meredith S Irwin
- Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Blake Papsin
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nikolaus E Wolter
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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10
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Oliver G. Lymphatic endothelial cell fate specification in the mammalian embryo: An historical perspective. Dev Biol 2021; 482:44-54. [PMID: 34915023 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Development of the mammalian lymphatic vasculature is a stepwise process requiring the specification of lymphatic endothelial cell progenitors in the embryonic veins, and their subsequent budding to give rise to most of the mature lymphatic vasculature. In mice, formation of the lymphatic vascular network starts inside the cardinal vein at around E9.5 when a subpopulation of venous endothelial cells gets committed into the lymphatic lineage by their acquisition of Prox1 expression. Identification of critical genes regulating lymphatic development facilitated the detailed cellular and molecular characterization of some of the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating the early steps leading to the formation of the mammalian lymphatic vasculature. A better understanding of basic aspects of early lymphatic development, and the availability of novel tools and animal models has been instrumental in the identification of important novel functional roles of this vasculature network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Oliver
- Center for Vascular and Developmental Biology, Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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11
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Byun KA, Oh S, Son M, Park CH, Son KH, Byun K. Dieckol Decreases Caloric Intake and Attenuates Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Hepatic Lymphatic Vessel Dysfunction in High-Fat-Diet-Fed Mice. Mar Drugs 2021; 19:495. [PMID: 34564157 PMCID: PMC8469311 DOI: 10.3390/md19090495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Increased inflammation is the main pathophysiology of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Inflammation affects lymphatic vessel function that contributes to the removal of immune cells or macromolecules. Dysfunctional lymphatic vessels with decreased permeability are present in NAFLD. High-fat diet (HFD) is known to increase body weight, food intake, and inflammation in the liver. Previously, it was reported that Ecklonia cava extracts (ECE) decreased food intake or weight gain, and low-calorie diet and weight loss is known as a treatment for NAFLD. In this study, the effects of ECE and dieckol (DK)-which is one component of ECE that decreases inflammation and increases lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic drainage by controlling lymphatic permeability in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice-on weight gain and food intake were investigated. ECE and DK decreased weight gain and food intake in the HFD-fed mice. NAFLD activities such as steatosis, lobular inflammation, and ballooning were increased by HFD and attenuated by ECE and DK. The expression of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-α and infiltration of M1 macrophages were increased by HFD, and they were decreased by ECE or DK. The signaling pathways of lymphangiogenesis, VEGFR-3, PI3K/pAKT, and pERK were decreased by HFD, and they were restored by either ECE or DK. The expression of VE-cadherin (which represents lymphatic junctional function) was increased by HFD, although it was restored by either ECE or DK. In conclusion, ECE and DK attenuated NAFLD by decreasing weight gain and food intake, decreasing inflammation, and increasing lymphangiogenesis, as well as modulating lymphatic vessel permeability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung-A Byun
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon 21936, Korea; (K.-A.B.); (M.S.)
- Functional Cellular Networks Laboratory, Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon 21999, Korea;
| | - Seyeon Oh
- Functional Cellular Networks Laboratory, Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon 21999, Korea;
| | - Myeongjoo Son
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon 21936, Korea; (K.-A.B.); (M.S.)
- Functional Cellular Networks Laboratory, Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon 21999, Korea;
| | - Chul-Hyun Park
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University, Incheon 21565, Korea;
| | - Kuk Hui Son
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University, Incheon 21565, Korea;
| | - Kyunghee Byun
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon 21936, Korea; (K.-A.B.); (M.S.)
- Functional Cellular Networks Laboratory, Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon 21999, Korea;
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12
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Monaghan RM, Page DJ, Ostergaard P, Keavney BD. The physiological and pathological functions of VEGFR3 in cardiac and lymphatic development and related diseases. Cardiovasc Res 2021; 117:1877-1890. [PMID: 33067626 PMCID: PMC8262640 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvaa291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs) are part of the evolutionarily conserved VEGF signalling pathways that regulate the development and maintenance of the body's cardiovascular and lymphovascular systems. VEGFR3, encoded by the FLT4 gene, has an indispensable and well-characterized function in development and establishment of the lymphatic system. Autosomal dominant VEGFR3 mutations, that prevent the receptor functioning as a homodimer, cause one of the major forms of hereditary primary lymphoedema; Milroy disease. Recently, we and others have shown that FLT4 variants, distinct to those observed in Milroy disease cases, predispose individuals to Tetralogy of Fallot, the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease, demonstrating a novel function for VEGFR3 in early cardiac development. Here, we examine the familiar and emerging roles of VEGFR3 in the development of both lymphovascular and cardiovascular systems, respectively, compare how distinct genetic variants in FLT4 lead to two disparate human conditions, and highlight the research still required to fully understand this multifaceted receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard M Monaghan
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Donna J Page
- School of Healthcare Science, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Pia Ostergaard
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's University of London, London, UK
| | - Bernard D Keavney
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
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13
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Abstract
Lymphatic vessels maintain tissue fluid homeostasis by returning to blood circulation interstitial fluid that has extravasated from the blood capillaries. They provide a trafficking route for cells of the immune system, thus critically contributing to immune surveillance. Developmental or functional defects in the lymphatic vessels, their obstruction or damage, lead to accumulation of fluid in tissues, resulting in lymphedema. Here we discuss developmental lymphatic anomalies called lymphatic malformations and complex lymphatic anomalies that manifest as localized or multifocal lesions of the lymphatic vasculature, respectively. They are rare diseases that are caused mostly by somatic mutations and can present with variable symptoms based upon the size and location of the lesions composed of fluid-filled cisterns or channels. Substantial progress has been made recently in understanding the molecular basis of their pathogenesis through the identification of their genetic causes, combined with the elucidation of the underlying mechanisms in animal disease models and patient-derived lymphatic endothelial cells. Most of the solitary somatic mutations that cause lymphatic malformations and complex lymphatic anomalies occur in genes that encode components of oncogenic growth factor signal transduction pathways. This has led to successful repurposing of some targeted cancer therapeutics to the treatment of lymphatic malformations and complex lymphatic anomalies. Apart from the mutations that act as lymphatic endothelial cell-autonomous drivers of these anomalies, current evidence points to superimposed paracrine mechanisms that critically contribute to disease pathogenesis and thus provide additional targets for therapeutic intervention. Here, we review these advances and discuss new treatment strategies that are based on the recently identified molecular pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taija Mäkinen
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Sweden (T.M.)
| | - Laurence M Boon
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Center for Vascular Anomalies, Cliniques Universitaires Saint Luc, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium (L.M.B.).,Human Molecular Genetics, de Duve Institute, University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium (L.M.B., M.V.)
| | - Miikka Vikkula
- Human Molecular Genetics, de Duve Institute, University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium (L.M.B., M.V.).,Walloon Excellence in Lifesciences and Biotechnology, University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium (M.V.)
| | - Kari Alitalo
- Wihuri Research Institute and Translational Cancer Medicine Program, Biomedicum, University of Helsinki, Finland (K.A.)
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14
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Cha B, Ho YC, Geng X, Mahamud MR, Chen L, Kim Y, Choi D, Kim TH, Randolph GJ, Cao X, Chen H, Srinivasan RS. YAP and TAZ maintain PROX1 expression in the developing lymphatic and lymphovenous valves in response to VEGF-C signaling. Development 2020; 147:dev195453. [PMID: 33060128 PMCID: PMC7758626 DOI: 10.1242/dev.195453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Lymphatic vasculature is an integral part of digestive, immune and circulatory systems. The homeobox transcription factor PROX1 is necessary for the development of lymphatic vessels, lymphatic valves (LVs) and lymphovenous valves (LVVs). We and others previously reported a feedback loop between PROX1 and vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) signaling. PROX1 promotes the expression of the VEGF-C receptor VEGFR3 in lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). In turn, VEGF-C signaling maintains PROX1 expression in LECs. However, the mechanisms of PROX1/VEGF-C feedback loop remain poorly understood. Whether VEGF-C signaling is necessary for LV and LVV development is also unknown. Here, we report for the first time that VEGF-C signaling is necessary for valve morphogenesis. We have also discovered that the transcriptional co-activators YAP and TAZ are required to maintain PROX1 expression in LVs and LVVs in response to VEGF-C signaling. Deletion of Yap and Taz in the lymphatic vasculature of mouse embryos did not affect the formation of LVs or LVVs, but resulted in the degeneration of these structures. Our results have identified VEGF-C, YAP and TAZ as a crucial molecular pathway in valve development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boksik Cha
- Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Daegu Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation, Daegu 41061, Republic of Korea
| | - Yen-Chun Ho
- Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Xin Geng
- Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Md Riaj Mahamud
- Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Lijuan Chen
- Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Yeunhee Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Systems Biology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Dongwon Choi
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Tae Hoon Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Systems Biology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Gwendalyn J Randolph
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Xinwei Cao
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Hong Chen
- Vascular Biology Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - R Sathish Srinivasan
- Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA
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15
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Bui K, Hong YK. Ras Pathways on Prox1 and Lymphangiogenesis: Insights for Therapeutics. Front Cardiovasc Med 2020; 7:597374. [PMID: 33263009 PMCID: PMC7688453 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2020.597374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past couple of decades, lymphatics research has accelerated and gained a much-needed recognition in pathophysiology. As the lymphatic system plays heavy roles in interstitial fluid drainage, immune surveillance and lipid absorption, the ablation or excessive growth of this vasculature could be associated with many complications, from lymphedema to metastasis. Despite their growing importance in cancer, few anti-lymphangiogenic therapies exist today, as they have yet to pass phase 3 clinical trials and acquire FDA approval. As such, many studies are being done to better define the signaling pathways that govern lymphangiogenesis, in hopes of developing new therapeutic approaches to inhibit or stimulate this process. This review will cover our current understanding of the Ras signaling pathways and their interactions with Prox1, the master transcriptional switch involved in specifying lymphatic endothelial cell fate and lymphangiogenesis, in hopes of providing insights to lymphangiogenesis-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khoa Bui
- Department of Surgery, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Young-Kwon Hong
- Department of Surgery, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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16
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Geng X, Yanagida K, Akwii RG, Choi D, Chen L, Ho Y, Cha B, Mahamud MR, Berman de Ruiz K, Ichise H, Chen H, Wythe JD, Mikelis CM, Hla T, Srinivasan RS. S1PR1 regulates the quiescence of lymphatic vessels by inhibiting laminar shear stress-dependent VEGF-C signaling. JCI Insight 2020; 5:137652. [PMID: 32544090 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.137652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
During the growth of lymphatic vessels (lymphangiogenesis), lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) at the growing front sprout by forming filopodia. Those tip cells are not exposed to circulating lymph, as they are not lumenized. In contrast, LECs that trail the growing front are exposed to shear stress, become quiescent, and remodel into stable vessels. The mechanisms that coordinate the opposed activities of lymphatic sprouting and maturation remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the canonical tip cell marker Delta-like 4 (DLL4) promotes sprouting lymphangiogenesis by enhancing VEGF-C/VEGF receptor 3 (VEGFR3) signaling. However, in lumenized lymphatic vessels, laminar shear stress (LSS) inhibits the expression of DLL4, as well as additional tip cell markers. Paradoxically, LSS also upregulates VEGF-C/VEGFR3 signaling in LECs, but sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) activity antagonizes LSS-mediated VEGF-C signaling to promote lymphatic vascular quiescence. Correspondingly, S1pr1 loss in LECs induced lymphatic vascular hypersprouting and hyperbranching, which could be rescued by reducing Vegfr3 gene dosage in vivo. In addition, S1PR1 regulates lymphatic vessel maturation by inhibiting RhoA activity to promote membrane localization of the tight junction molecule claudin-5. Our findings suggest a potentially new paradigm in which LSS induces quiescence and promotes the survival of LECs by downregulating DLL4 and enhancing VEGF-C signaling, respectively. S1PR1 dampens LSS/VEGF-C signaling, thereby preventing sprouting from quiescent lymphatic vessels. These results also highlight the distinct roles that S1PR1 and DLL4 play in LECs when compared with their known roles in the blood vasculature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Geng
- Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Keisuke Yanagida
- Vascular Biology Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Racheal G Akwii
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, Texas, USA
| | - Dongwon Choi
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Lijuan Chen
- Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - YenChun Ho
- Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Boksik Cha
- Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Md Riaj Mahamud
- Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Karen Berman de Ruiz
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Hirotake Ichise
- Institute for Animal Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ryukyus, Nishihara-cho, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Hong Chen
- Vascular Biology Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joshua D Wythe
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Constantinos M Mikelis
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, Texas, USA
| | - Timothy Hla
- Vascular Biology Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - R Sathish Srinivasan
- Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.,Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
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17
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A zebrafish genetic model enables an invaluable discovery: a lifesaving treatment for a lymphatic anomaly. Lab Anim (NY) 2019; 48:305-306. [PMID: 31527754 DOI: 10.1038/s41684-019-0401-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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18
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Tamura R, Yoshida K, Toda M. Current understanding of lymphatic vessels in the central nervous system. Neurosurg Rev 2019; 43:1055-1064. [PMID: 31209659 DOI: 10.1007/s10143-019-01133-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Lymphangiogenesis is associated with some pathological conditions such as inflammation, tissue repair, and tumor growth. Recently, a paradigm shift occurred following the discovery of meningeal lymphatic structures in the human central nervous system (CNS); these structures may be a key drainage route for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) into the peripheral blood and may also contribute to inflammatory reaction and immune surveillance of the CNS. Lymphatic vessels located along the dural sinuses absorb CSF from the adjacent subarachnoid space and brain interstitial fluid via the glymphatic system, which is composed of aquaporin-4 water channels expressed on perivascular astrocytic end-feet membranes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) clearly visualized these lymphatic vessels in the human dura mater. The conception of some neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease, has been changed by this paradigm shift. Meningeal lymphatic vessels could be a promising therapeutic target for the prevention of neurological disorders. However, the involvement of meningeal lymphatic vessels in the pathophysiology has not been fully elucidated and is the subject of future investigations. In this article, to understand the involvement of meningeal lymphatic vessels in neurological disorders, we review the differences between lymphangiogenesis in the CNS and in other tissues during both developmental and adulthood stages, and pathological conditions that may be associated with meningeal lymphatic vessels in the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Tamura
- Department of Neurosurgery, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Kazunari Yoshida
- Department of Neurosurgery, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Masahiro Toda
- Department of Neurosurgery, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
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19
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Ichise T, Yoshida N, Ichise H. CBP/p300 antagonises EGFR‐Ras‐Erk signalling and suppresses increased Ras‐Erk signalling‐induced tumour formation in mice. J Pathol 2019; 249:39-51. [DOI: 10.1002/path.5279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Taeko Ichise
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Center for Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, The Institute of Medical Science The University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan
- Institute for Animal Research, Faculty of Medicine University of the Ryukyus Okinawa Japan
| | - Nobuaki Yoshida
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Center for Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, The Institute of Medical Science The University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan
| | - Hirotake Ichise
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Center for Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, The Institute of Medical Science The University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan
- Institute for Animal Research, Faculty of Medicine University of the Ryukyus Okinawa Japan
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20
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Wu H, Rahman HA, Dong Y, Liu X, Lee Y, Wen A, To KH, Xiao L, Birsner AE, Bazinet L, Wong S, Song K, Brophy ML, Mahamud MR, Chang B, Cai X, Pasula S, Kwak S, Yang W, Bischoff J, Xu J, Bielenberg DR, Dixon JB, D’Amato RJ, Srinivasan RS, Chen H. Epsin deficiency promotes lymphangiogenesis through regulation of VEGFR3 degradation in diabetes. J Clin Invest 2018; 128:4025-4043. [PMID: 30102256 PMCID: PMC6118634 DOI: 10.1172/jci96063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Impaired lymphangiogenesis is a complication of chronic complex diseases, including diabetes. VEGF-C/VEGFR3 signaling promotes lymphangiogenesis, but how this pathway is affected in diabetes remains poorly understood. We previously demonstrated that loss of epsins 1 and 2 in lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) prevented VEGF-C-induced VEGFR3 from endocytosis and degradation. Here, we report that diabetes attenuated VEGF-C-induced lymphangiogenesis in corneal micropocket and Matrigel plug assays in WT mice but not in mice with inducible lymphatic-specific deficiency of epsins 1 and 2 (LEC-iDKO). Consistently, LECs isolated from diabetic LEC-iDKO mice elevated in vitro proliferation, migration, and tube formation in response to VEGF-C over diabetic WT mice. Mechanistically, ROS produced in diabetes induced c-Src-dependent but VEGF-C-independent VEGFR3 phosphorylation, and upregulated epsins through the activation of transcription factor AP-1. Augmented epsins bound to and promoted degradation of newly synthesized VEGFR3 in the Golgi, resulting in reduced availability of VEGFR3 at the cell surface. Preclinically, the loss of lymphatic-specific epsins alleviated insufficient lymphangiogenesis and accelerated the resolution of tail edema in diabetic mice. Collectively, our studies indicate that inhibiting expression of epsins in diabetes protects VEGFR3 against degradation and ameliorates diabetes-triggered inhibition of lymphangiogenesis, thereby providing a novel potential therapeutic strategy to treat diabetic complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wu
- Vascular Biology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - H.N. Ashiqur Rahman
- Vascular Biology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yunzhou Dong
- Vascular Biology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Xiaolei Liu
- Center for Vascular and Developmental Biology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Yang Lee
- Vascular Biology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Aiyun Wen
- Vascular Biology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kim H.T. To
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Li Xiao
- Department of Nephrology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Amy E. Birsner
- Vascular Biology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lauren Bazinet
- Vascular Biology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Scott Wong
- Vascular Biology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kai Song
- Vascular Biology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Megan L. Brophy
- Vascular Biology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - M. Riaj Mahamud
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Baojun Chang
- Vascular Medicine Institute, Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Xiaofeng Cai
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Satish Pasula
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Sukyoung Kwak
- Vascular Biology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Wenxia Yang
- Department of Nephrology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Joyce Bischoff
- Vascular Biology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jian Xu
- Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Diane R. Bielenberg
- Vascular Biology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - J. Brandon Dixon
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Robert J. D’Amato
- Vascular Biology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - R. Sathish Srinivasan
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Hong Chen
- Vascular Biology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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21
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Sasine JP, Himburg HA, Termini CM, Roos M, Tran E, Zhao L, Kan J, Li M, Zhang Y, de Barros SC, Rao DS, Counter CM, Chute JP. Wild-type Kras expands and exhausts hematopoietic stem cells. JCI Insight 2018; 3:98197. [PMID: 29875320 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.98197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic Kras expression specifically in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) induces a rapidly fatal myeloproliferative neoplasm in mice, suggesting that Kras signaling plays a dominant role in normal hematopoiesis. However, such a conclusion is based on expression of an oncogenic version of Kras. Hence, we sought to determine the effect of simply increasing the amount of endogenous wild-type Kras on HSC fate. To this end, we utilized a codon-optimized version of the murine Kras gene (Krasex3op) that we developed, in which silent mutations in exon 3 render the encoded mRNA more efficiently translated, leading to increased protein expression without disruption to the normal gene architecture. We found that Kras protein levels were significantly increased in bone marrow (BM) HSCs in Krasex3op/ex3op mice, demonstrating that the translation of Kras in HSCs is normally constrained by rare codons. Krasex3op/ex3op mice displayed expansion of BM HSCs, progenitor cells, and B lymphocytes, but no evidence of myeloproliferative disease or leukemia in mice followed for 12 months. BM HSCs from Krasex3op/ex3op mice demonstrated increased multilineage repopulating capacity in primary competitive transplantation assays, but secondary competitive transplants revealed exhaustion of long-term HSCs. Following total body irradiation, Krasex3op/ex3op mice displayed accelerated hematologic recovery and increased survival. Mechanistically, HSCs from Krasex3op/ex3op mice demonstrated increased proliferation at baseline, with a corresponding increase in Erk1/2 phosphorylation and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (Cdk4/6) activation. Furthermore, both the enhanced colony-forming capacity and in vivo repopulating capacity of HSCs from Krasex3op/ex3op mice were dependent on Cdk4/6 activation. Finally, BM transplantation studies revealed that augmented Kras expression produced expansion of HSCs, progenitor cells, and B cells in a hematopoietic cell-autonomous manner, independent from effects on the BM microenvironment. This study provides fundamental demonstration of codon usage in a mammal having a biological consequence, which may speak to the importance of codon usage in mammalian biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua P Sasine
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine.,Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology.,Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.,Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Stem Cell Research, and
| | | | | | - Martina Roos
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine.,Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.,Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Stem Cell Research, and
| | - Evelyn Tran
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine
| | - Liman Zhao
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine
| | - Jenny Kan
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine
| | - Michelle Li
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine
| | - Yurun Zhang
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine
| | | | - Dinesh S Rao
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine.,Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.,Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Stem Cell Research, and.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Christopher M Counter
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, North California, USA
| | - John P Chute
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine.,Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.,Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Stem Cell Research, and
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22
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Retrograde Lymph Flow Leads to Chylothorax in Transgenic Mice with Lymphatic Malformations. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2017; 187:1984-1997. [PMID: 28683257 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2017.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2017] [Revised: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Chylous pleural effusion (chylothorax) frequently accompanies lymphatic vessel malformations and other conditions with lymphatic defects. Although retrograde flow of chyle from the thoracic duct is considered a potential mechanism underlying chylothorax in patients and mouse models, the path chyle takes to reach the thoracic cavity is unclear. Herein, we use a novel transgenic mouse model, where doxycycline-induced overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C was driven by the adipocyte-specific promoter adiponectin (ADN), to determine how chylothorax forms. Surprisingly, 100% of adult ADN-VEGF-C mice developed chylothorax within 7 days. Rapid, consistent appearance of chylothorax enabled us to examine the step-by-step development in otherwise normal adult mice. Dynamic imaging with a fluorescent tracer revealed that lymph in the thoracic duct of these mice could enter the thoracic cavity by retrograde flow into enlarged paravertebral lymphatics and subpleural lymphatic plexuses that had incompetent lymphatic valves. Pleural mesothelium overlying the lymphatic plexuses underwent exfoliation that increased during doxycycline exposure. Together, the findings indicate that chylothorax in ADN-VEGF-C mice results from retrograde flow of chyle from the thoracic duct into lymphatic tributaries with defective valves. Chyle extravasates from these plexuses and enters the thoracic cavity through exfoliated regions of the pleural mesothelium.
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23
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Vascular heterogeneity and specialization in development and disease. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2017; 18:477-494. [PMID: 28537573 DOI: 10.1038/nrm.2017.36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 359] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Blood and lymphatic vessels pervade almost all body tissues and have numerous essential roles in physiology and disease. The inner lining of these networks is formed by a single layer of endothelial cells, which is specialized according to the needs of the tissue that it supplies. Whereas the general mechanisms of blood and lymphatic vessel development are being defined with increasing molecular precision, studies of the processes of endothelial specialization remain mostly descriptive. Recent insights from genetic animal models illuminate how endothelial cells interact with each other and with their tissue environment, providing paradigms for vessel type- and organ-specific endothelial differentiation. Delineating these governing principles will be crucial for understanding how tissues develop and maintain, and how their function becomes abnormal in disease.
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24
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Tanaka M, Iwakiri Y. The Hepatic Lymphatic Vascular System: Structure, Function, Markers, and Lymphangiogenesis. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2016; 2:733-749. [PMID: 28105461 PMCID: PMC5240041 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The lymphatic vascular system has been minimally explored in the liver despite its essential functions including maintenance of tissue fluid homeostasis. The discovery of specific markers for lymphatic endothelial cells has advanced the study of lymphatics by methods including imaging, cell isolation, and transgenic animal models and has resulted in rapid progress in lymphatic vascular research during the last decade. These studies have yielded concrete evidence that lymphatic vessel dysfunction plays an important role in the pathogenesis of many diseases. This article reviews the current knowledge of the structure, function, and markers of the hepatic lymphatic vascular system as well as factors associated with hepatic lymphangiogenesis and compares liver lymphatics with those in other tissues.
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Key Words
- CCl4, carbon tetrachloride
- Cirrhosis
- EHE, epithelioid hemangioendothelioma
- HA, hyaluronan
- HBx Ag, hepatitis B x antigen
- HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma
- IFN, interferon
- IL, interleukin
- Inflammation
- LSEC, liver sinusoidal endothelial cell
- LYVE-1, lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1
- LyEC, lymphatic endothelial cell
- NO, nitric oxide
- Portal Hypertension
- Prox1, prospero homeobox protein 1
- VEGF
- VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor
- VEGFR, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor
- mTOR, mammalian target of rapamycin
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yasuko Iwakiri
- Reprint requests Address requests for reprints to: Yasuko Iwakiri, PhD, Section of Digestive Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, TAC S223B, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520. fax: (203) 785-7273.Section of Digestive DiseasesDepartment of Internal MedicineYale University School of MedicineTAC S223B, 333 Cedar StreetNew HavenConnecticut 06520
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25
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Fatima A, Wang Y, Uchida Y, Norden P, Liu T, Culver A, Dietz WH, Culver F, Millay M, Mukouyama YS, Kume T. Foxc1 and Foxc2 deletion causes abnormal lymphangiogenesis and correlates with ERK hyperactivation. J Clin Invest 2016; 126:2437-51. [PMID: 27214551 PMCID: PMC4922698 DOI: 10.1172/jci80465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The lymphatic vasculature is essential for maintaining interstitial fluid homeostasis, and dysfunctional lymphangiogenesis contributes to various pathological processes, including inflammatory disease and tumor metastasis. Mutations in FOXC2 are dominantly associated with late-onset lymphedema; however, the precise role of FOXC2 and a closely related factor, FOXC1, in the lymphatic system remains largely unknown. Here we identified a molecular cascade by which FOXC1 and FOXC2 regulate ERK signaling in lymphatic vessel growth. In mice, lymphatic endothelial cell-specific (LEC-specific) deletion of Foxc1, Foxc2, or both resulted in increased LEC proliferation, enlarged lymphatic vessels, and abnormal lymphatic vessel morphogenesis. Compared with LECs from control animals, LECs from mice lacking both Foxc1 and Foxc2 exhibited aberrant expression of Ras regulators, and embryos with LEC-specific deletion of Foxc1 and Foxc2, alone or in combination, exhibited ERK hyperactivation. Pharmacological ERK inhibition in utero abolished the abnormally enlarged lymphatic vessels in FOXC-deficient embryos. Together, these results identify FOXC1 and FOXC2 as essential regulators of lymphangiogenesis and indicate a new potential mechanistic basis for lymphatic-associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anees Fatima
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Yutaka Uchida
- Laboratory of Stem Cell and Neuro-Vascular Biology, Genetics and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Pieter Norden
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Ting Liu
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Austin Culver
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - William H. Dietz
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Ford Culver
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Meredith Millay
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Yoh-suke Mukouyama
- Laboratory of Stem Cell and Neuro-Vascular Biology, Genetics and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Tsutomu Kume
- Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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26
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Roth Flach RJ, Guo CA, Danai LV, Yawe JC, Gujja S, Edwards YJK, Czech MP. Endothelial Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase Kinase Kinase 4 Is Critical for Lymphatic Vascular Development and Function. Mol Cell Biol 2016; 36:1740-9. [PMID: 27044870 PMCID: PMC4907094 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.01121-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2016] [Revised: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms underlying lymphatic vascular development and function are not well understood. Recent studies have suggested a role for endothelial cell (EC) mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase 4 (Map4k4) in developmental angiogenesis and atherosclerosis. Here, we show that constitutive loss of EC Map4k4 in mice causes postnatal lethality due to chylothorax, suggesting that Map4k4 is required for normal lymphatic vascular function. Mice constitutively lacking EC Map4k4 displayed dilated lymphatic capillaries, insufficient lymphatic valves, and impaired lymphatic flow; furthermore, primary ECs derived from these animals displayed enhanced proliferation compared with controls. Yeast 2-hybrid analyses identified the Ras GTPase-activating protein Rasa1, a known regulator of lymphatic development and lymphatic endothelial cell fate, as a direct interacting partner for Map4k4. Map4k4 silencing in ECs enhanced basal Ras and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) activities, and primary ECs lacking Map4k4 displayed enhanced lymphatic EC marker expression. Taken together, these results reveal that EC Map4k4 is critical for lymphatic vascular development by regulating EC quiescence and lymphatic EC fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel J Roth Flach
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chang-An Guo
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Laura V Danai
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joseph C Yawe
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sharvari Gujja
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yvonne J K Edwards
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michael P Czech
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
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27
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Martinez-Corral I, Stanczuk L, Frye M, Ulvmar MH, Diéguez-Hurtado R, Olmeda D, Makinen T, Ortega S. Vegfr3-CreER T2 mouse, a new genetic tool for targeting the lymphatic system. Angiogenesis 2016; 19:433-45. [DOI: 10.1007/s10456-016-9505-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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28
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Ichise H, Ichise T, Yoshida N. Phospholipase Cγ2 Is Required for Luminal Expansion of the Epididymal Duct during Postnatal Development in Mice. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150521. [PMID: 26950550 PMCID: PMC4780702 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Phospholipase Cγ2 (PLCγ2)-deficient mice exhibit misconnections of blood and lymphatic vessels, and male infertility. However, the cell type responsible for vascular partitioning and the mechanism for male infertility remain unknown. Accordingly, we generated a mouse line that conditionally expresses endogenous Plcg2 in a Cre/loxP recombination-dependent manner, and found that Tie2-Cre- or Pf4-Cre-driven reactivation of Plcg2 rescues PLCγ2-deficient mice from the vascular phenotype. By contrast, male mice rescued from the vascular phenotype exhibited epididymal sperm granulomas. As judged from immunostaining, PLCγ2 was expressed in clear cells in the epididymis. PLCγ2 deficiency did not compromise differentiation of epididymal epithelial cells, including clear cells, and tube formation at postnatal week 2. However, luminal expansion of the epididymal duct was impaired during the prepubertal period, regardless of epithelial cell polarity and tube architecture. These results suggest that PLCγ2-deficient clear cells cause impaired luminal expansion, stenosis of the epididymal duct, attenuation of luminal flow, and subsequent sperm granulomas. Clear cell-mediated luminal expansion is also supported by the observation that PLCγ2-deficient males were rescued from infertility by epididymal epithelium-specific reactivation of Plcg2, although the edematous and hemorrhagic phenotype associated with PLCγ2 deficiency also caused spontaneous epididymal sperm granulomas in aging males. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that PLCγ2 in clear cells plays an essential role in luminal expansion of the epididymis during the prepubertal period in mice, and reveal an unexpected link between PLCγ2, clear cells, and epididymal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirotake Ichise
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Center for Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Taeko Ichise
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Center for Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nobuaki Yoshida
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Center for Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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29
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Fink DM, Steele MM, Hollingsworth MA. The lymphatic system and pancreatic cancer. Cancer Lett 2015; 381:217-36. [PMID: 26742462 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2015.11.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Revised: 11/16/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
This review summarizes current knowledge of the biology, pathology and clinical understanding of lymphatic invasion and metastasis in pancreatic cancer. We discuss the clinical and biological consequences of lymphatic invasion and metastasis, including paraneoplastic effects on immune responses and consider the possible benefit of therapies to treat tumors that are localized to lymphatics. A review of current techniques and methods to study interactions between tumors and lymphatics is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darci M Fink
- Eppley Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
| | - Maria M Steele
- Eppley Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5950, USA
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30
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Nakhaei-Rad S, Nakhaeizadeh H, Kordes C, Cirstea IC, Schmick M, Dvorsky R, Bastiaens PIH, Häussinger D, Ahmadian MR. The Function of Embryonic Stem Cell-expressed RAS (E-RAS), a Unique RAS Family Member, Correlates with Its Additional Motifs and Its Structural Properties. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:15892-15903. [PMID: 25940089 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.640607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
E-RAS is a member of the RAS family specifically expressed in embryonic stem cells, gastric tumors, and hepatic stellate cells. Unlike classical RAS isoforms (H-, N-, and K-RAS4B), E-RAS has, in addition to striking and remarkable sequence deviations, an extended 38-amino acid-long unique N-terminal region with still unknown functions. We investigated the molecular mechanism of E-RAS regulation and function with respect to its sequence and structural features. We found that N-terminal extension of E-RAS is important for E-RAS signaling activity. E-RAS protein most remarkably revealed a different mode of effector interaction as compared with H-RAS, which correlates with deviations in the effector-binding site of E-RAS. Of all these residues, tryptophan 79 (arginine 41 in H-RAS), in the interswitch region, modulates the effector selectivity of RAS proteins from H-RAS to E-RAS features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeideh Nakhaei-Rad
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University, 40255 Düsseldorf
| | - Hossein Nakhaeizadeh
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University, 40255 Düsseldorf
| | - Claus Kordes
- Clinic of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University, 40255 Düsseldorf
| | - Ion C Cirstea
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University, 40255 Düsseldorf; Leibniz Institute for Age Research-Fritz Lipmann Institute, 07745 Jena
| | - Malte Schmick
- Department of Systemic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Radovan Dvorsky
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University, 40255 Düsseldorf
| | - Philippe I H Bastiaens
- Department of Systemic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Dieter Häussinger
- Clinic of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University, 40255 Düsseldorf
| | - Mohammad Reza Ahmadian
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Medical Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University, 40255 Düsseldorf.
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31
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Pershing NLK, Lampson BL, Belsky JA, Kaltenbrun E, MacAlpine DM, Counter CM. Rare codons capacitate Kras-driven de novo tumorigenesis. J Clin Invest 2014; 125:222-33. [PMID: 25437878 DOI: 10.1172/jci77627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2014] [Accepted: 10/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The KRAS gene is commonly mutated in human cancers, rendering the encoded small GTPase constitutively active and oncogenic. This gene has the unusual feature of being enriched for rare codons, which limit protein expression. Here, to determine the effect of the rare codon bias of the KRAS gene on de novo tumorigenesis, we introduced synonymous mutations that converted rare codons into common codons in exon 3 of the Kras gene in mice. Compared with control animals, mice with at least 1 copy of this Kras(ex3op) allele had fewer tumors following carcinogen exposure, and this allele was mutated less often, with weaker oncogenic mutations in these tumors. This reduction in tumorigenesis was attributable to higher expression of the Kras(ex3op) allele, which induced growth arrest when oncogenic and exhibited tumor-suppressive activity when not mutated. Together, our data indicate that the inherent rare codon bias of KRAS plays an integral role in tumorigenesis.
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32
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Evidence for SH2 domain-containing 5'-inositol phosphatase-2 (SHIP2) contributing to a lymphatic dysfunction. PLoS One 2014; 9:e112548. [PMID: 25383712 PMCID: PMC4226566 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 10/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The lymphatic vasculature plays a critical role in a number of disease conditions of increasing prevalence, such as autoimmune disorders, obesity, blood vascular diseases, and cancer metastases. Yet, unlike the blood vasculature, the tools available to interrogate the molecular basis of lymphatic dysfunction/disease have been lacking. More recently, investigators have reported that dysregulation of the PI3K pathway is involved in syndromic human diseases that involve abnormal lymphatic vasculatures, but there have been few compelling results that show the direct association of this molecular pathway with lymphatic dysfunction in humans. Using near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging (NIRFLI) to phenotype and next generation sequencing (NGS) for unbiased genetic discovery in a family with non-syndromic lymphatic disease, we discovered a rare, novel mutation in INPPL1 that encodes the protein SHIP2, which is a negative regulator of the PI3K pathway, to be associated with lymphatic dysfunction in the family. In vitro interrogation shows that SHIP2 is directly associated with impairment of normal lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) behavior and that SHIP2 associates with receptors that are associated in lymphedema, implicating its direct involvement in the lymphatic vasculature.
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33
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Liu X, Pasula S, Song H, Tessneer KL, Dong Y, Hahn S, Yago T, Brophy ML, Chang B, Cai X, Wu H, McManus J, Ichise H, Georgescu C, Wren JD, Griffin C, Xia L, Srinivasan RS, Chen H. Temporal and spatial regulation of epsin abundance and VEGFR3 signaling are required for lymphatic valve formation and function. Sci Signal 2014; 7:ra97. [PMID: 25314967 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2005413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Lymphatic valves prevent the backflow of the lymph fluid and ensure proper lymphatic drainage throughout the body. Local accumulation of lymphatic fluid in tissues, a condition called lymphedema, is common in individuals with malformed lymphatic valves. The vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR3) is required for the development of lymphatic vascular system. The abundance of VEGFR3 in collecting lymphatic trunks is high before valve formation and, except at valve regions, decreases after valve formation. We found that in mesenteric lymphatics, the abundance of epsin 1 and 2, which are ubiquitin-binding adaptor proteins involved in endocytosis, was low at early stages of development. After lymphatic valve formation, the initiation of steady shear flow was associated with an increase in the abundance of epsin 1 and 2 in collecting lymphatic trunks, but not in valve regions. Epsin 1 and 2 bound to VEGFR3 and mediated the internalization and degradation of VEGFR3, resulting in termination of VEGFR3 signaling. Mice with lymphatic endothelial cell-specific deficiency of epsin 1 and 2 had dilated lymphatic capillaries, abnormally high VEGFR3 abundance in collecting lymphatics, immature lymphatic valves, and defective lymph drainage. Deletion of a single Vegfr3 allele or pharmacological suppression of VEGFR3 signaling restored normal lymphatic valve development and lymph drainage in epsin-deficient mice. Our findings establish a critical role for epsins in the temporal and spatial regulation of VEGFR3 abundance and signaling in collecting lymphatic trunks during lymphatic valve formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolei Liu
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA
| | - Satish Pasula
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA
| | - Hoogeun Song
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA
| | - Kandice L Tessneer
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA
| | - Yunzhou Dong
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA
| | - Scott Hahn
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA
| | - Tadayuki Yago
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA
| | - Megan L Brophy
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA
| | - Baojun Chang
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA
| | - Xiaofeng Cai
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA
| | - Hao Wu
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA
| | - John McManus
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA
| | - Hirotake Ichise
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Center for Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Constantin Georgescu
- Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA
| | - Jonathan D Wren
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA. Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA
| | - Courtney Griffin
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA. Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma, OK 73126, USA
| | - Lijun Xia
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA
| | - R Sathish Srinivasan
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA
| | - Hong Chen
- Cardiovascular Biology Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USA.
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Kadam P, Rand J, Rady P, Tyring S, Stehlik J, Sedivcova M, Kazakov DV, Ray K, Hill J, Agag R, Carlson JA. Adolescent Onset of Localized Papillomatosis, Lymphedema, and Multiple Beta-Papillomavirus Infection: Epidermal Nevus, Segmental Lymphedema Praecox, or Verrucosis? A Case Report and Case Series of Epidermal Nevi. Dermatopathology (Basel) 2014; 1:55-69. [PMID: 27047923 PMCID: PMC4772932 DOI: 10.1159/000367967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Herein, we report the case of a 12-year-old female who noted the recent onset of an oval, circumscribed, 10-cm papillomatous plaque affecting the thigh and vulva that showed histologic signs of lymphedema without evidence of secondary lymphedema. The sequencing of genes associated with a delayed onset of lymphedema or epidermal nevi (EN) - GATA2 and GJC2, and HRAS and KRAS, respectively - showed wild-type alleles. Polymerase chain reaction for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA demonstrated infections with 15 HPV genotypes. Evidence of productive HPV infection, HPV capsid expression, and cytopathic changes was detected. At the 6-month follow-up, no evidence of recurrence was found after complete excision. The analysis of a consecutive series of 91 EN excision specimens revealed that 76% exhibited histologic evidence of lymphostasis. Notably, multiple acrochordon-like EN, which most closely resembled this case, showed similar signs of localized lymphedema. The late onset and evidence of lymphedema favors the diagnosis of congenital unisegmental lymphedema. However, the clinical findings and epidermal changes point to the diagnosis of EN. Moreover, localized verrucosis also accurately describes this patient's cutaneous findings. Based on the above evidence, we postulate that an abnormal development of lymphatics may play a primary role in the pathogenesis of some types of EN and facilitate productive HPV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Kadam
- Department of Pathology, Albany Medical College, Albany, N.Y., USA
| | - Janne Rand
- Department of Pathology, Albany Medical College, Albany, N.Y., USA
| | - Peter Rady
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Tex., USA
- Department of Microbiology/Medical Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Tex., USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Tex., USA
| | - Stephen Tyring
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Tex., USA
- Department of Microbiology/Medical Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Tex., USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Tex., USA
| | - Jan Stehlik
- Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Monica Sedivcova
- Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Dmitry V. Kazakov
- Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Kathy Ray
- Department of Capital District Dermatology, Glenmont, N.Y., USA
| | - Jerome Hill
- Department of Capital District Dermatology, Glenmont, N.Y., USA
| | - Richard Agag
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Albany Medical College, Albany, N.Y., USA
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Abstract
Abstract
Lymphatic vasculature is increasingly recognized as an important factor both in the regulation of normal tissue homeostasis and immune response and in many diseases, such as inflammation, cancer, obesity, and hypertension. In the last few years, in addition to the central role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C/VEGF receptor-3 signaling in lymphangiogenesis, significant new insights were obtained about Notch, transforming growth factor β/bone morphogenetic protein, Ras, mitogen-activated protein kinase, phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase, and Ca2+/calcineurin signaling pathways in the control of growth and remodeling of lymphatic vessels. An emerging picture of lymphangiogenic signaling is complex and in many ways distinct from the regulation of angiogenesis. This complexity provides new challenges, but also new opportunities for selective therapeutic targeting of lymphatic vasculature.
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Ichise H, Ichise T, Sasanuma H, Yoshida N. The Cd6 gene as a permissive locus for targeted transgenesis in the mouse. Genesis 2014; 52:440-50. [PMID: 24700560 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.22779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2013] [Revised: 03/22/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The introduction of a transgene into the genome through homologous recombination or sequence-specific enzymatic modification is a key technique for producing transgenic mice. The Rosa26 gene has been widely used to produce transgenic mice because the gene is transcriptionally active in various cell types and, at many developmental stages, is permissive for constitutive expression of integrated transgenes, and is dispensable for normal development. However, permissive loci other than Rosa26 are needed to generate mice that harbor multiple transgenes for complex studies. Here, we identified the Cd6 locus on mouse chromosome 19 as a transgene integration site in a transgenic mouse strain showing widespread reporter expression. Using this locus, we generated a knock-in mouse line that harbors a CAG promoter-driven reporter transgene, and found that the homozygous transgenic mice are viable and fertile, although transgene insertion disrupted Cd6 gene expression. The transgene on the Cd6 locus expressed reporter genes extensively throughout embryos, neonates, and adults. Combined with the Cre/loxP binary system, blood and lymphatic endothelial cell-specific reporter expression from the transgenic locus was achieved. These results suggest that Cd6 is valuable as an alternative site for targeted transgenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirotake Ichise
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Center for Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Transcriptional control of lymphatic endothelial cell type specification. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY, EMBRYOLOGY, AND CELL BIOLOGY 2014; 214:5-22. [PMID: 24276883 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-7091-1646-3_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The lymphatic vasculature is the "sewer system" of our body as it plays an important role in transporting tissue fluids and extravasated plasma proteins back to the blood circulation and absorbs lipids from the intestinal tract. Malfunction of the lymphatic vasculature can result in lymphedema and obesity. The lymphatic system is also important for the immune response and is one of the main routes for the spreading of metastatic tumor cells. The development of the mammalian lymphatic vasculature is a stepwise process that requires the specification of lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) progenitors in the embryonic veins, and the subsequent budding of those LEC progenitors from the embryonic veins to give rise to the primitive lymph sacs from which the entire lymphatic vasculature will eventually be derived. This process was first proposed by Florence Sabin over a century ago and was recently confirmed by several studies using lineage tracing and gene manipulation. Over the last decade, significant advances have been made in understanding the transcriptional control of lymphatic endothelial cell type differentiation. Here we summarize our current knowledge about the key transcription factors that are necessary to regulate several aspects of lymphatic endothelial specification and differentiation.
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Sevick-Muraca EM, King PD. Lymphatic vessel abnormalities arising from disorders of Ras signal transduction. Trends Cardiovasc Med 2013; 24:121-7. [PMID: 24183794 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcm.2013.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2013] [Revised: 09/04/2013] [Accepted: 09/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
A number of genetic diseases in man have been described in which abnormalities in the development and function of the lymphatic vascular (LV) system are prominent features. The genes that are mutated in these diseases are varied and include genes that encode lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) growth factor receptors and their ligands and transcription factors that control LEC fate and function. In addition, an increasing number of genes have been identified that encode components of the Ras signal transduction pathway that conveys signals from cell surface receptors to regulate cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation. Gene targeting studies performed in mice have confirmed that the LV system is particularly susceptible to perturbations in the Ras pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M Sevick-Muraca
- Center for Molecular Imaging, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Philip D King
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, 6606 Med Sci II, 1150 West Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5620, USA.
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Dellinger MT, Meadows SM, Wynne K, Cleaver O, Brekken RA. Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 promotes the development of the lymphatic vasculature. PLoS One 2013; 8:e74686. [PMID: 24023956 PMCID: PMC3759473 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0074686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2013] [Accepted: 08/08/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) is highly expressed by lymphatic endothelial cells and has been shown to stimulate lymphangiogenesis in adult mice. However, the role VEGFR2 serves in the development of the lymphatic vascular system has not been defined. Here we use the Cre-lox system to show that the proper development of the lymphatic vasculature requires VEGFR2 expression by lymphatic endothelium. We show that Lyve-1wt/Cre;Vegfr2flox/flox mice possess significantly fewer dermal lymphatic vessels than Vegfr2flox/flox mice. Although Lyve-1wt/Cre;Vegfr2flox/flox mice exhibit lymphatic hypoplasia, the lymphatic network is functional and contains all of the key features of a normal lymphatic network (initial lymphatic vessels and valved collecting vessels surrounded by smooth muscle cells (SMCs)). We also show that Lyve-1Cre mice display robust Cre activity in macrophages and in blood vessels in the yolk sac, liver and lung. This activity dramatically impairs the development of blood vessels in these tissues in Lyve-1wt/Cre;Vegfr2flox/flox embryos, most of which die after embryonic day14.5. Lastly, we show that inactivation of Vegfr2 in the myeloid lineage does not affect the development of the lymphatic vasculature. Therefore, the abnormal lymphatic phenotype of Lyve-1wt/Cre;Vegfr2flox/flox mice is due to the deletion of Vegfr2 in the lymphatic vasculature not macrophages. Together, this work demonstrates that VEGFR2 directly promotes the expansion of the lymphatic network and further defines the molecular mechanisms controlling the development of the lymphatic vascular system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T. Dellinger
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Stryder M. Meadows
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Katherine Wynne
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ondine Cleaver
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Rolf A. Brekken
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
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Lymphatic abnormalities are associated with RASA1 gene mutations in mouse and man. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:8621-6. [PMID: 23650393 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1222722110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in gene RASA1 have been historically associated with capillary malformation-arteriovenous malformation, but sporadic reports of lymphatic involvement have yet to be investigated in detail. To investigate the impact of RASA1 mutations in the lymphatic system, we performed investigational near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging and confirmatory radiographic lymphangiography in a Parkes-Weber syndrome (PKWS) patient with suspected RASA1 mutations and correlated the lymphatic abnormalities against that imaged in an inducible Rasa1 knockout mouse. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) analysis and validation by Sanger sequencing of DNA from the patient and unaffected biological parents enabled us to identify an early-frameshift deletion in RASA1 that was shared with the father, who possessed a capillary stain but otherwise no overt disease phenotype. Abnormal lymphatic vasculature was imaged in both affected and unaffected legs of the PKWS subject that transported injected indocyanine green dye to the inguinal lymph node and drained atypically into the abdomen and into dermal lymphocele-like vesicles on the groin. Dermal lymphatic hyperplasia and dilated vessels were observed in Rasa1-deficient mice, with subsequent development of chylous ascites. WES analyses did not identify potential gene modifiers that could explain the variability of penetrance between father and son. Nonetheless, we conclude that the RASA1 mutation is responsible for the aberrant lymphatic architecture and functional abnormalities, as visualized in the PKWS subject and in the animal model. Our unique method to combine investigatory near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging and WES for accurate phenoptyping and unbiased genotyping allows the study of molecular mechanisms of lymphatic involvement of hemovascular disorders.
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41
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King PD, Lubeck BA, Lapinski PE. Nonredundant functions for Ras GTPase-activating proteins in tissue homeostasis. Sci Signal 2013; 6:re1. [PMID: 23443682 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2003669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Inactivation of the small guanosine triphosphate-binding protein Ras during receptor signal transduction is mediated by Ras guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase)-activating proteins (RasGAPs). Ten different RasGAPs have been identified and have overlapping patterns of tissue distribution. However, genetic analyses are revealing critical nonredundant functions for each RasGAP in tissue homeostasis and as regulators of disease processes in mouse and man. Here, we discuss advances in understanding the role of RasGAPs in the maintenance of tissue integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip D King
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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42
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Ichise T, Yoshida N, Ichise H. FGF2-induced Ras/Erk MAPK signalling maintains lymphatic endothelial cell identity by up-regulating endothelial cell-specific gene expression and suppressing TGFβ signalling via Smad2. J Cell Sci 2013; 127:845-57. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.137836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) fate decision program during development has been revealed. However, the mechanism underlying the maintenance of differentiated LEC identity remains largely unknown. Here, we show that fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) plays a fundamental role in maintaining a differentiated LEC trait. In addition to demonstrating the appearance of alpha-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) expressing LECs in mouse lymphedematous skin in vivo, we found that mouse-immortalized LECs lose their characteristics and undergo endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) when cultured in FGF2-depleted medium. FGF2 depletion acted synergistically with transforming growth factor (TGF) β to induce EndMT. We also found that H-Ras-overexpressing LECs were resistant to EndMT. Ras activation not only upregulated FGF2-induced Erk MAPK activation, but also suppressed TGFβ-induced activation of Smad2 by modulating Smad2 phosphorylation via Erk MAPKs. These results suggest that FGF2 may regulate LEC-specific gene expression and suppress TGFβ signalling in LECs via Smad2 in a Ras/Erk MAP kinase-dependent manner. Taken together, our findings provide a new insight into the FGF2/Ras/Erk MAPK-dependent mechanism that maintains and modulates the LEC trait.
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43
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Ichise T, Yoshida N, Ichise H. Ras/MAPK signaling modulates VEGFR-3 expression through Ets-mediated p300 recruitment and histone acetylation on the Vegfr3 gene in lymphatic endothelial cells. PLoS One 2012; 7:e51639. [PMID: 23284731 PMCID: PMC3524184 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0051639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2012] [Accepted: 11/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Modulation of VEGFR-3 expression is important for altering lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) characteristics during the lymphangiogenic processes that occur under developmental, physiological, and pathological conditions. However, the mechanisms underlying the modulation of Vegfr3 gene expression remain largely unknown. Using genetically engineered mice and LECs, we demonstrated previously that Ras signaling is involved not only in VEGFR-3-induced signal transduction but also in Vegfr3 gene expression. Here, we investigated the roles of the transcription factor Ets and the histone acetyltransferase p300 in LECs in Ras-mediated transcriptional regulation of Vegfr3. Ras activates Ets proteins via MAPK-induced phosphorylation. Ets knockdown, similar to Ras knockdown, resulted in a decrease in both Vegfr3 transcript levels and acetylated histone H3 on the Vegfr3 gene. Vegfr3 knockdown results in altered LEC phenotypes, such as aberrant cell proliferation and network formation, and Ets knockdown led to milder but similar phenotypic changes. We identified evolutionarily conserved, non-coding regulatory elements within the Vegfr3 gene that harbor Ets-binding motifs and have enhancer activities in LECs. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays revealed that acetylated histone H3 on the regulatory elements of the Vegfr3 gene was decreased following Ras and Ets knockdown, and that activated Ets proteins, together with p300, were associated with these regulatory elements, consistent with a reduction in Vegfr3 gene expression in p300-knockdown LECs. Our findings demonstrate a link between Ras signaling and Ets- and p300-mediated transcriptional regulation of Vegfr3, and provide a potential mechanism by which VEGFR-3 expression levels may be modulated during lymphangiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taeko Ichise
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Center for Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nobuaki Yoshida
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Center for Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirotake Ichise
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Center for Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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44
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Huang H, Jin T, Wang L, Wang F, Zhang R, Pan Y, Wang Z, Chen Y. The RAS guanyl nucleotide-releasing protein RasGRP1 is involved in lymphatic development in zebrafish. J Biol Chem 2012. [PMID: 23184941 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.418202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular basis of the lymphatic development remains largely unknown. Using zebrafish as a model, we discovered a novel role for the Ras guanine-releasing protein 1 (RasGRP1), a protein involved in Ras activation in lymphangiogenesis. Secondary lymphatic sprouts from the posterior cardinal vein give rise to thoracic duct which is the first lymphatic vessel in zebrafish. Knockdown of rasgrp1 by injecting morpholino in zebrafish embryos impaired formation of thoracic duct accompanied by pericardial and truck edema, whereas blood vessel development of the embryos was largely unaffected. In rasgrp1-knockdown embryos, the number of sprouts producing the string of parachordal lymphangioblast cells was reduced. Meanwhile the total number of the secondary sprouts was not changed. As a result, the number of venous intersegmental vessels was increased, whereas the number of lymphatic vessel was reduced at a later stage. The lymphatic developmental defects caused by rasgrp1 knockdown could be rescued by ectopic expression of a constitutively active HRas. Further analysis revealed that RasGRP1 knockdown could synergize with flt4/vegfr3 knockdown to induce defects in lymphangiogenesis. Taken together, this finding demonstrates a critical role for RasGRP1 in lymphatic development in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Huang
- Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
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45
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Witte MH, Dellinger MT, Papendieck CM, Boccardo F. Overlapping biomarkers, pathways, processes and syndromes in lymphatic development, growth and neoplasia. Clin Exp Metastasis 2012; 29:707-27. [PMID: 22798218 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-012-9493-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2012] [Accepted: 05/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Recent discoveries in molecular lymphology, developmental biology, and tumor biology in the context of long-standing concepts and observations on development, growth, and neoplasia implicate overlapping pathways, processes, and clinical manifestations in developmental disorders and cancer metastasis. Highlighted in this review are some of what is known (and speculated) about the genes, proteins, and signaling pathways and processes involved in lymphatic/blood vascular development in comparison to those involved in cancer progression and spread. Clues and conundra from clinical disorders that mix these processes and mute them, including embryonic rests, multicentric nests of displaced cells, uncontrolled/invasive "benign" proliferation and lymphogenous/hematogenous "spread", represent a fine line between normal development and growth, dysplasia, benign and malignant neoplasia, and "metastasis". Improved understanding of these normal and pathologic processes and their underlying pathomechanisms, e.g., stem cell origin and bidirectional epithelial-mesenchymal transition, could lead to more successful approaches in classification, treatment, and even prevention of cancer and a whole host of other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlys H Witte
- Department of Surgery, University of Arizona College of Medicine, 1501 N. Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85724-5200, USA.
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46
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Osada M, Inoue O, Ding G, Shirai T, Ichise H, Hirayama K, Takano K, Yatomi Y, Hirashima M, Fujii H, Suzuki-Inoue K, Ozaki Y. Platelet activation receptor CLEC-2 regulates blood/lymphatic vessel separation by inhibiting proliferation, migration, and tube formation of lymphatic endothelial cells. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:22241-52. [PMID: 22556408 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.329987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The platelet activation receptor CLEC-2 plays crucial roles in thrombosis/hemostasis, tumor metastasis, and lymphangiogenesis, although its role in thrombosis/hemostasis remains controversial. An endogenous ligand for CLEC-2, podoplanin, is expressed in lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). We and others have reported that CLEC-2-deficiency is lethal at mouse embryonic/neonatal stages associated with blood-filled lymphatics, indicating that CLEC-2 is essential for blood/lymphatic vessel separation. However, its mechanism, and whether CLEC-2 in platelets is necessary for this separation, remains unknown. We found that specific deletion of CLEC-2 from platelets leads to the misconnection of blood/lymphatic vessels. CLEC-2(+/+) platelets, but not by CLEC-2(-/-) platelets, inhibited LEC migration, proliferation, and tube formation but had no effect on human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Additionally, supernatants from activated platelets significantly inhibited these three functions in LECs, suggesting that released granule contents regulate blood/lymphatic vessel separation. Bone morphologic protein-9 (BMP-9), which we found to be present in platelets and released upon activation, appears to play a key role in regulating LEC functions. Only BMP-9 inhibited tube formation, although other releasates including transforming growth factor-β and platelet factor 4 inhibited proliferation and/or migration. We propose that platelets regulate blood/lymphatic vessel separation by inhibiting the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of LECs, mainly because of the release of BMP-9 upon activation by CLEC-2/podoplanin interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Osada
- Department of Clinical and Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, 1110 Shimokato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan
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Lapinski PE, Kwon S, Lubeck BA, Wilkinson JE, Srinivasan RS, Sevick-Muraca E, King PD. RASA1 maintains the lymphatic vasculature in a quiescent functional state in mice. J Clin Invest 2012; 122:733-47. [PMID: 22232212 DOI: 10.1172/jci46116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2010] [Accepted: 11/30/2011] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
RASA1 (also known as p120 RasGAP) is a Ras GTPase-activating protein that functions as a regulator of blood vessel growth in adult mice and humans. In humans, RASA1 mutations cause capillary malformation-arteriovenous malformation (CM-AVM); whether it also functions as a regulator of the lymphatic vasculature is unknown. We investigated this issue using mice in which Rasa1 could be inducibly deleted by administration of tamoxifen. Systemic loss of RASA1 resulted in a lymphatic vessel disorder characterized by extensive lymphatic vessel hyperplasia and leakage and early lethality caused by chylothorax (lymphatic fluid accumulation in the pleural cavity). Lymphatic vessel hyperplasia was a consequence of increased proliferation of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) and was also observed in mice in which induced deletion of Rasa1 was restricted to LECs. RASA1-deficient LECs showed evidence of constitutive activation of Ras in situ. Furthermore, in isolated RASA1-deficient LECs, activation of the Ras signaling pathway was prolonged and cellular proliferation was enhanced after ligand binding to different growth factor receptors, including VEGFR-3. Blockade of VEGFR-3 was sufficient to inhibit the development of lymphatic vessel hyperplasia after loss of RASA1 in vivo. These findings reveal a role for RASA1 as a physiological negative regulator of LEC growth that maintains the lymphatic vasculature in a quiescent functional state through its ability to inhibit Ras signal transduction initiated through LEC-expressed growth factor receptors such as VEGFR-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip E Lapinski
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Phosphorylation of Akt and ERK1/2 is required for VEGF-A/VEGFR2-induced proliferation and migration of lymphatic endothelium. PLoS One 2011; 6:e28947. [PMID: 22174934 PMCID: PMC3236226 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2011] [Accepted: 11/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence that vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), a ligand of the receptor tyrosine kinases VEGFR1 and VEGFR2, promotes lymphangiogenesis. However, the underlying mechanisms by which VEGF-A induces the growth of lymphatic vessels remain poorly defined. Here we report that VEGFR2, not VEGFR1, is the primary receptor regulating VEGF-A-induced lymphangiogenesis. We show that specific inhibition of VEGF-A/VEGFR2 signaling with the fully human monoclonal antibody r84 significantly inhibits lymphangiogenesis in MDA-MB-231 tumors. In vitro experiments with primary human dermal lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) demonstrate that blocking VEGF-A activation of VEGFR2, not VEGFR1, significantly inhibits VEGF-A-induced proliferation and migration of LECs. We show that VEGF-A stimulation of LECs leads to the phosphorylation of VEGFR2 (Tyr 951, 1054, 1059, 1175, and 1214) which subsequently triggers PKC dependent phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and PI3-K dependent phosphorylation of Akt. Additionally, we demonstrate that inhibitors that suppress the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and Akt significantly block VEGF-A- induced proliferation and migration of LECs. Together, these results shed light on the mechanisms regulating VEGF-A-induced proliferation and migration of LECs, reveal that VEGFR2 is the primary signaling VEGF-A receptor on lymphatic endothelium, and suggest that therapeutic agents targeting the VEGF-A/VEGFR2 axis could be useful in blocking the pathological formation of lymphatic vessels.
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49
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Kinet V, Castermans K, Herkenne S, Maillard C, Blacher S, Lion M, Noël A, Martial JA, Struman I. The angiostatic protein 16K human prolactin significantly prevents tumor-induced lymphangiogenesis by affecting lymphatic endothelial cells. Endocrinology 2011; 152:4062-71. [PMID: 21862622 DOI: 10.1210/en.2011-1081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The 16-kDa angiostatic N-terminal fragment of human prolactin (16K hPRL) has been reported to be a new potent anticancer compound. This protein has already proven its efficiency in several mouse tumor models in which it prevented tumor-induced angiogenesis and delayed tumor growth. In addition to angiogenesis, tumors also stimulate the formation of lymphatic vessels, which contribute to tumor cell dissemination and metastasis. However, the role of 16K hPRL in tumor-induced lymphangiogenesis has never been investigated. We establish in vitro that 16K hPRL induces apoptosis and inhibits proliferation, migration, and tube formation of human dermal lymphatic microvascular endothelial cells. In addition, in a B16F10 melanoma mouse model, we found a decreased number of lymphatic vessels in the primary tumor and in the sentinel lymph nodes after 16K hPRL treatment. This decrease is accompanied by a significant diminished expression of lymphangiogenic markers in primary tumors and sentinel lymph nodes as determined by quantitative RT-PCR. These results suggest, for the first time, that 16K hPRL is a lymphangiostatic as well as an angiostatic agent with antitumor properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginie Kinet
- GIGA Research, Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Unit, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
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50
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Abstract
VEGFs (vascular endothelial growth factors) control vascular development during embryogenesis and the function of blood vessels and lymphatic vessels in the adult. There are five related mammalian ligands, which act through three receptor tyrosine kinases. Signalling is modulated through neuropilins, which act as VEGF co-receptors. Heparan sulfate and integrins are also important modulators of VEGF signalling. Therapeutic agents that interfere with VEGF signalling have been developed with the aim of decreasing angiogenesis in diseases that involve tissue growth and inflammation, such as cancer. The present review will outline the current understanding and consequent biology of VEGF receptor signalling.
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