Fu J, Gerhardt H, McDaniel JM, Xia B, Liu X, Ivanciu L, Ny A, Hermans K, Silasi-Mansat R, McGee S, Nye E, Ju T, Ramirez MI, Carmeliet P, Cummings RD, Lupu F, Xia L. Endothelial cell O-glycan deficiency causes blood/lymphatic misconnections and consequent fatty liver disease in mice.
J Clin Invest 2008;
118:3725-37. [PMID:
18924607 DOI:
10.1172/jci36077]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 213] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2008] [Accepted: 09/10/2008] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mucin-type O-glycans (O-glycans) are highly expressed in vascular ECs. However, it is not known whether they are important for vascular development. To investigate the roles of EC O-glycans, we generated mice lacking T-synthase, a glycosyltransferase encoded by the gene C1galt1 that is critical for the biosynthesis of core 1-derived O-glycans, in ECs and hematopoietic cells (termed here EHC T-syn(-/-) mice). EHC T-syn(-/-) mice exhibited embryonic and neonatal lethality associated with disorganized and blood-filled lymphatic vessels. Bone marrow transplantation and EC C1galt1 transgene rescue demonstrated that lymphangiogenesis specifically requires EC O-glycans, and intestinal lymphatic microvessels in EHC T-syn(-/-) mice expressed a mosaic of blood and lymphatic EC markers. The level of O-glycoprotein podoplanin was significantly reduced in EHC T-syn(-/-) lymphatics, and podoplanin-deficient mice developed blood-filled lymphatics resembling EHC T-syn(-/-) defects. In addition, postnatal inactivation of C1galt1 caused blood/lymphatic vessel misconnections that were similar to the vascular defects in the EHC T-syn(-/-) mice. One consequence of eliminating T-synthase in ECs and hematopoietic cells was that the EHC T-syn(-/-) pups developed fatty liver disease, because of direct chylomicron deposition via misconnected portal vein and intestinal lymphatic systems. Our studies therefore demonstrate that EC O-glycans control the separation of blood and lymphatic vessels during embryonic and postnatal development, in part by regulating podoplanin expression.
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