Alternatively spliced vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 is an essential endogenous inhibitor of lymphatic vessel growth.
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).
Albuquerque
Romulo J C
RJ
Departments of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Hayashi
Takahiko
T
Cho
Won Gil
WG
Kleinman
Mark E
ME
Dridi
Sami
S
Takeda
Atsunobu
A
Baffi
Judit Z
JZ
Yamada
Kiyoshi
K
Kaneko
Hiroki
H
Green
Martha G
MG
Chappell
Joe
J
Wilting
Jörg
J
Weich
Herbert A
HA
Yamagami
Satoru
S
Amano
Shiro
S
Mizuki
Nobuhisa
N
Alexander
Jonathan S
JS
Peterson
Martha L
ML
Brekken
Rolf A
RA
Hirashima
Masanori
M
Capoor
Seema
S
Usui
Tomohiko
T
Ambati
Balamurali K
BK
Ambati
Jayakrishna
J
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*
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; C467483:vascular endothelial growth factor C, mouse; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2