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Expression of the hyaluronan receptor LYVE‐1 is not restricted to the lymphatic vasculature; LYVE‐1 is also expressed on embryonic blood vessels
Author(s) -
Gordon Emma J.,
Gale Nicholas W.,
Harvey Natasha L.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
developmental dynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.634
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1097-0177
pISSN - 1058-8388
DOI - 10.1002/dvdy.21605
Subject(s) - lymphangiogenesis , yolk sac , lymphatic system , biology , pathology , lymphatic endothelium , embryogenesis , endothelium , lymphatic vessel , anatomy , microbiology and biotechnology , embryo , immunology , endocrinology , medicine , cancer , metastasis , genetics
Abstract Expression of the hyaluronan receptor LYVE‐1 is one of few available criteria used to discriminate lymphatic vessels from blood vessels. Until now, endothelial LYVE‐1 expression was reported to be restricted to lymphatic vessels and to lymph node, liver, and spleen sinuses. Here, we provide the first evidence that LYVE‐1 is expressed on blood vessels of the yolk sac during mouse embryogenesis. LYVE‐1 is ubiquitously expressed in the yolk sac capillary plexus at E9.5, then becomes progressively down‐regulated on arterial endothelium during vascular remodelling. LYVE‐1 is also expressed on intra‐embryonic arterial and venous endothelium at early embryonic stages and on endothelial cells of the lung and endocardium throughout embryogenesis. These findings have important implications for the use of LYVE‐1 as a specific marker of the lymphatic vasculature during embryogenesis and neo‐lymphangiogenesis. Our data are also the first demonstration, to our knowledge, that the mouse yolk sac is devoid of lymphatic vessels. Developmental Dynamics 237:1901–1909, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.