Developmental Cell
Volume 50, Issue 2, 22 July 2019, Pages 247-255.e3
Journal home page for Developmental Cell

Short Article
Paraxial Mesoderm Is the Major Source of Lymphatic Endothelium

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2019.04.034Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Highlights

  • Lineage history is a key determinant of endothelial cell specialization

  • Endothelial cells arising from paraxial mesoderm preferentially form lymphatic vessels

  • Paraxial-mesoderm-derived endothelial cells are essential for lymphatic development

Summary

Endothelial cells (ECs), which line blood and lymphatic vessels, are generally described to come from the lateral plate mesoderm despite experimental evidence for a broader source of origin, including the paraxial mesoderm (PXM). Current dogma suggests that following specification from mesoderm, local environmental cues establish the distinct molecular and functional characteristics of ECs in different vascular beds. Here we present evidence to challenge this view, showing that lymphatic EC fate is imprinted during transition through the PXM lineage. We show that PXM-derived cells form the lymphatic endothelium of multiple organs and tissues, with a more restricted contribution to blood vessel endothelium. By deleting Prox1 specifically in PXM-derived cells, we show that this lineage is indispensable for lymphatic vessel development. Collectively, our data establish lineage history as a critical determinant of EC specialization, a finding with broad implications for our understanding of vascular development and heterogeneity.

Keywords

cell lineage
lineage tracing
mesoderm
paraxial mesoderm
endothelial differentiation
endothelial heterogeneity
lymphatic
lymphangiogenesis
vasculogenesis

Cited by (0)

3

Lead Contact