title: Alternatively spliced vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 is an essential endogenous inhibitor of lymphatic vessel growth.
abstract: Disruption of the precise balance of positive and negative molecular regulators of blood and lymphatic vessel growth can lead to myriad diseases. Although dozens of natural inhibitors of hemangiogenesis have been identified, an endogenous selective inhibitor of lymphatic vessel growth has not to our knowledge been previously described. We report the existence of a splice variant of the gene encoding vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (Vegfr-2) that encodes a secreted form of the protein, designated soluble Vegfr-2 (sVegfr-2), that inhibits developmental and reparative lymphangiogenesis by blocking Vegf-c function. Tissue-specific loss of sVegfr-2 in mice induced, at birth, spontaneous lymphatic invasion of the normally alymphatic cornea and hyperplasia of skin lymphatics without affecting blood vasculature. Administration of sVegfr-2 inhibited lymphangiogenesis but not hemangiogenesis induced by corneal suture injury or transplantation, enhanced corneal allograft survival and suppressed lymphangioma cellular proliferation. Naturally occurring sVegfr-2 thus acts as a molecular uncoupler of blood and lymphatic vessels; modulation of sVegfr-2 might have therapeutic effects in treating lymphatic vascular malformations, transplantation rejection and, potentially, tumor lymphangiogenesis and lymphedema (pages 993-994).
authors: Departments of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
authors: Romulo J C
authors: RJ
authors: Albuquerque
authors: Takahiko
authors: T
authors: Hayashi
authors: Won Gil
authors: WG
authors: Cho
authors: Mark E
authors: ME
authors: Kleinman
authors: Sami
authors: S
authors: Dridi
authors: Atsunobu
authors: A
authors: Takeda
authors: Judit Z
authors: JZ
authors: Baffi
authors: Kiyoshi
authors: K
authors: Yamada
authors: Hiroki
authors: H
authors: Kaneko
authors: Martha G
authors: MG
authors: Green
authors: Joe
authors: J
authors: Chappell
authors: Jörg
authors: J
authors: Wilting
authors: Herbert A
authors: HA
authors: Weich
authors: Satoru
authors: S
authors: Yamagami
authors: Shiro
authors: S
authors: Amano
authors: Nobuhisa
authors: N
authors: Mizuki
authors: Jonathan S
authors: JS
authors: Alexander
authors: Martha L
authors: ML
authors: Peterson
authors: Rolf A
authors: RA
authors: Brekken
authors: Masanori
authors: M
authors: Hirashima
authors: Seema
authors: S
authors: Capoor
authors: Tomohiko
authors: T
authors: Usui
authors: Balamurali K
authors: BK
authors: Ambati
authors: Jayakrishna
authors: J
authors: Ambati
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001483:Base Sequence; D003315:Cornea / Q000098:blood supply / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D042583:Lymphangiogenesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; C467483:vascular endothelial growth factor C, mouse; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2