Regulation of blood and lymphatic vascular separation by signaling proteins SLP-76 and Syk.

Abtahian, Farhad; Guerriero, Anastasia; Sebzda, Eric; Lu, Min-Min; Zhou, Rong; Mocsai, Attila; Myers, Erin E; Huang, Bin et al. · Science · 2003

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Lymphatic vessels develop from specialized endothelial cells in preexisting blood vessels, but the molecular signals that regulate this separation are unknown. Here we identify a failure to separate emerging lymphatic vessels from blood vessels in mice lacking the hematopoietic signaling protein SLP-76 or Syk. Blood-lymphatic connections lead to embryonic hemorrhage and arteriovenous shunting. Expression of slp-76 could not be detected in endothelial cells, and blood-filled lymphatics also arose in wild-type mice reconstituted with SLP-76-deficient bone marrow. These studies reveal a hematopoietic signaling pathway required for separation of the two major vascular networks in mammals.

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