Project description:The lymphatic vascular system plays important roles in the maintenance of interstitial fluid pressure, the afferent immune response and the absorption of dietary lipids. However, the molecular mechanisms that control lymphatic vessel network maturation and function remain largely unknown. To identify novel players in lymphatic vessel function, we isolated pure populations of lymphatic and blood vascular endothelial cells from mouse intestine using fluorescence-activated high-speed cell sorting and performed transcriptional profiling. We found that the axonal guidance molecules semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) and Sema3D were specifically expressed by lymphatic vessels. Quantitative PCR of ex vivo isolated cells and immunohistochemical analysis confirmed these results. Importantly, we found that the semaphorin receptor neuropilin-1 (Nrp-1) is expressed on the valves of collecting lymphatic vessels. Treatment of mice in utero (E12.5-E16.5) with an antibody that blocks Sema3A binding to Nrp-1, but not with an antibody that blocks VEGFA binding to Nrp-1, resulted in abnormal development of collecting lymphatic vessels and valves, and aberrant smooth muscle cell coverage. Conversely, Sema3A-deficient mice displayed branching defects of collecting lymphatic vessels as well as impaired valve development. Together, these results reveal an unanticipated role of Sema3A/Nrp-1 signaling in the maturation of the lymphatic vascular network. Colon single-cell suspensions were prepared by a fast protocol that minimizes the RNA degradation. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) was used to sort blood vascular endothelial cells (BEC) and lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC). 4 animal-matched pairs of LEC and BEC were chosen based on the quality of extracted and amplified material to provide homogenous groups of biological replicates. This gave 8 samples to analyze. Samples present LEC and BEC isolated from 4 healthy normal mice. The 4 mice used present the 4 biological replicates.
Project description:The lymphatic vascular system plays important roles in the maintenance of interstitial fluid pressure, the afferent immune response and the absorption of dietary lipids. However, the molecular mechanisms that control lymphatic vessel network maturation and function remain largely unknown. To identify novel players in lymphatic vessel function, we isolated pure populations of lymphatic and blood vascular endothelial cells from mouse intestine using fluorescence-activated high-speed cell sorting and performed transcriptional profiling. We found that the axonal guidance molecules semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) and Sema3D were specifically expressed by lymphatic vessels. Quantitative PCR of ex vivo isolated cells and immunohistochemical analysis confirmed these results. Importantly, we found that the semaphorin receptor neuropilin-1 (Nrp-1) is expressed on the valves of collecting lymphatic vessels. Treatment of mice in utero (E12.5-E16.5) with an antibody that blocks Sema3A binding to Nrp-1, but not with an antibody that blocks VEGFA binding to Nrp-1, resulted in abnormal development of collecting lymphatic vessels and valves, and aberrant smooth muscle cell coverage. Conversely, Sema3A-deficient mice displayed branching defects of collecting lymphatic vessels as well as impaired valve development. Together, these results reveal an unanticipated role of Sema3A/Nrp-1 signaling in the maturation of the lymphatic vascular network.
Project description:This study investigates the transcriptome of primary dermal lymphatic endothelial cells compared with blood vascular endothelial cells using samples isolated from wildtype embryos at defined points (E14.5, E16.5 and E18.5) during mouse embryonic development.
Project description:Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis have important roles in cancer progression and chronic inflammatory diseases, but efficient therapies against these diseases have been hampered by the lack of identified vascular lineage-specific markers and growth factors. Using transcriptional profiling of matched pairs of human dermal blood vascular and lymphatic endothelial cells, we first identified 236 lymphatic and 342 blood vascular signature genes. In silico analyses of the biologic pathways associated with these genes revealed lineage-specific functions for each cell type. Using a selection of 85 identified vascular lineage-specific genes, we developed a TaqMan RT-PCR-based, microfluidic card-formatted low-density microvascular differentiation array (LD-MDA) that was used to reliably identify and quantify the degree of lineage-specific differentiation in different types of endothelial cells, and to detect admixture of lymphatic endothelial cells in commercial preparations of microvascular endothelial cells. Application of Prediction Relevance Ranking and analysis of variance of LD-MDA expression profiles of 43 lesional skin samples obtained from patients with the chronic inflammatory disease psoriasis led to identification of cytokines which are significantly associated with angiogenesis or lymphangiogenesis in vivo. In particular, interleukin-7 and fibroblast growth factor-12 were identified as novel (lymph)angiogenic factors. This technology provides a novel tool to quantify lineage-specific vascular differentiation and to characterize (lymph)angiogenesis in clinical samples obtained from angiogenic diseases. This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: GSE11306: Quantification of vascular lineage-specific differentiation (cell type comparison) GSE11307: Quantification of vascular lineage-specific differentiation, psoriasis (chronic inflammation) study Keywords: SuperSeries Refer to individual Series
Project description:We microprepared native mammary skin resections from healthy female donors (breast size reduction) by a combination of enzymatic and mechanical treatment. The resulting suspensions of single dermal cells were then subjected to FACSorting using antibodies against the lymphovascular marker protein podoplanin and the panendothelial protein CD31 as positive and the leukocytic protein CD45 as negative markers. We aimed at separating lymphatic vascular endothelial cells (LECs) from blood vascular endothelial cells (BECs) in order to characterize their moelcular and functional phenotypes in health and disease. We found that lymphatic endothelial cells consisted of two instead of only one cell population. Their discrimination marker was high versus low expression of podoplanin surface protein, respectively. Especially, the low-podoplanin expressors were undescribed. Thus, we screened for their transcription profile using U133A. We identified specific marker genes and finally have assigned a specific function to the novel LEC subpopulation unknown up to now. Importantly, we did not use lysates from cell culture, but from ex vivo cells. Thus, there was no treatment of cells except processing the samples on ice.
Project description:Analysis of ex vivo isolated lymphatic endothelial cells from the dermis of patients to define type 2 diabetes-induced changes. Results preveal aberrant dermal lymphangiogenesis and provide insight into its role in the pathogenesis of persistent skin inflammation in type 2 diabetes. The ex vivo dLEC transcriptome reveals a dramatic influence of the T2D environment on multiple molecular and cellular processes, mirroring the phenotypic changes seen in T2D affected skin. The positively and negatively correlated dLEC transcripts directly cohere to prolonged inflammatory periods and reduced infectious resistance of patients´ skin. Further, lymphatic vessels might be involved in tissue remodeling processes during T2D induced skin alterations associated with impaired wound healing and altered dermal architecture. Hence, dermal lymphatic vessels might be directly associated with T2D disease promotion. Global gene expression profile of normal dermal lymphatic endothelial cells (ndLECs) compared to dermal lymphatic endothelial cells derived from type 2 diabetic patients (dLECs).Quadruplicate biological samples were analyzed from human lymphatic endothelial cells (4 x diabetic; 4 x non-diabetic). subsets: 1 disease state set (dLECs), 1 control set (ndLECs)
Project description:The lymphatic vascular system maintains tissue fluid homeostasis, helps mediate afferent immune responses and promotes cancer metastasis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have recently emerged as key and potent regulators of the genome that control virtually all aspects of cell and organism biology. Surprisingly, the physiological importance and functional activities of miRNAs in the lymphatic vascular system have not been explored. To address this, we first defined the in vitro miRNA expression profiles of primary human lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) and blood vascular endothelial cells (BVECs). Comparative analysis of these profiles identified 4 BVEC-signature and 2 LEC-signature miRNAs. Further expression analysis by quantitative real-time PCR analysis and by in situ hybridization (ISH) studies confirmed these vascular lineage-specific expression patterns in vivo. Functional characterization of the BVEC-signature miRNA, miR-31, identified a novel BVEC-specific post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism that inhibits lymphatic-specific transcription programs in vitro and lymphatic vascular development during Xenopus embryogenesis. These effects are, in part, mediated via direct post-transcriptional repression of PROX1, a master regulator of lymphatic lineage-specific differentiation. Together, these findings indicate that miR-31, and miRNAs in general, are potent regulators of vascular lineage-specific differentiation and development.
Project description:Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis have important roles in cancer progression and chronic inflammatory diseases, but efficient therapies against these diseases have been hampered by the lack of identified vascular lineage-specific markers and growth factors. Using transcriptional profiling of matched pairs of human dermal blood vascular and lymphatic endothelial cells, we first identified 236 lymphatic and 342 blood vascular signature genes. In silico analyses of the biologic pathways associated with these genes revealed lineage-specific functions for each cell type. Using a selection of 85 identified vascular lineage-specific genes, we developed a TaqMan RT-PCR-based, microfluidic card-formatted low-density microvascular differentiation array (LD-MDA) that was used to reliably identify and quantify the degree of lineage-specific differentiation in different types of endothelial cells, and to detect admixture of lymphatic endothelial cells in commercial preparations of microvascular endothelial cells. Application of Prediction Relevance Ranking and analysis of variance of LD-MDA expression profiles of 43 lesional skin samples obtained from patients with the chronic inflammatory disease psoriasis led to identification of cytokines which are significantly associated with angiogenesis or lymphangiogenesis in vivo. In particular, interleukin-7 and fibroblast growth factor-12 were identified as novel (lymph)angiogenic factors. This technology provides a novel tool to quantify lineage-specific vascular differentiation and to characterize (lymph)angiogenesis in clinical samples obtained from angiogenic diseases. Keywords: cell type comparison
Project description:Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis have important roles in cancer progression and chronic inflammatory diseases, but efficient therapies against these diseases have been hampered by the lack of identified vascular lineage-specific markers and growth factors. Using transcriptional profiling of matched pairs of human dermal blood vascular and lymphatic endothelial cells, we first identified 236 lymphatic and 342 blood vascular signature genes. In silico analyses of the biologic pathways associated with these genes revealed lineage-specific functions for each cell type. Using a selection of 85 identified vascular lineage-specific genes, we developed a TaqMan RT-PCR-based, microfluidic card-formatted low-density microvascular differentiation array (LD-MDA) that was used to reliably identify and quantify the degree of lineage-specific differentiation in different types of endothelial cells, and to detect admixture of lymphatic endothelial cells in commercial preparations of microvascular endothelial cells. Application of Prediction Relevance Ranking and analysis of variance of LD-MDA expression profiles of 43 lesional skin samples obtained from patients with the chronic inflammatory disease psoriasis led to identification of cytokines which are significantly associated with angiogenesis or lymphangiogenesis in vivo. In particular, interleukin-7 and fibroblast growth factor-12 were identified as novel (lymph)angiogenic factors. This technology provides a novel tool to quantify lineage-specific vascular differentiation and to characterize (lymph)angiogenesis in clinical samples obtained from angiogenic diseases. Keywords: Quantitative real time RT-PCR, psoriasis (chronic inflammation) study Guided by the gene array results, we selected 54 LEC-specific genes and 31 BEC-specific genes, based upon their consistent and strong specific expression in LEC or BEC, as well as on their assignment to important biological pathways. In addition, the five pan-endothelial cell marker genes PECAM-1, vWF, KDR, TEK, CDH5 and the six endogenous control genes ACTB, GAPDH, PGK1, PPIA, RPLP0 and S18 were included in the design of the LD-MDA. After extraction of total RNA, the mRNA expression levels of the 96 genes were analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR using the 7900HT Real-Time PCR System (Applied Biosystems).