Cell-cell interactions influence vascular reprogramming by Prox1 during embryonic development.
Lymphangiogenesis is a highly regulated process that involves the reprogramming of venous endothelial cells into early lymphatic endothelial cells. This reprogramming not only displays a polarized expression pattern from the cardinal vein, but also demonstrates vascular specificity; early lymphatics only develop from the cardinal vein and not the related dorsal aorta. In our transgenic model of lymphangiogenesis, we demonstrate that Prox1 overexpression has the ability to reprogram venous endothelium but not early arterial endothelial cells in vivo, in spite of the fact that Prox1 expression is forced onto both vascular beds. Our observations suggest that this specificity during embryogenesis may be due to cell-cell interactions between the developing arterial endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells. These conclusions have far reaching implications on how we understand the vascular specificity of lymphangiogenesis.
Department of Medical Biophysics, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Harold
H
Kim
Maribelle
M
Cruz
Annie
A
Bourdeau
Daniel J
DJ
Dumont
D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000187:drug effects; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000494:pharmacology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D004487:Edema / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology; D020964:Embryo Loss / Q000473:pathology; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D042583:Lymphangiogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014680:Veins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology; D000098551:Prospero-Related Homeobox 1 Protein
D015415:Biomarkers; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D000098551:Prospero-Related Homeobox 1 Protein