Cited by 321Angiogenesis and VEGF in CancerLymphatic System and DiseasesDevelopmental Biology and Gene Regulation

VEGFR-3 controls tip to stalk conversion at vessel fusion sites by reinforcing Notch signalling

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Tammela, Tuomas, Zarkada, Georgia, Nurmi, Harri, Jakobsson, Lars, Heinolainen, Krista, Tvorogov, Denis, Zheng, Wei, Franco, Claudio A. +10 more·2011·Nature Cell Biology

Abstract

Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels, involves specification of endothelial cells to tip cells and stalk cells, which is controlled by Notch signalling, whereas vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-2 and VEGFR-3 have been implicated in angiogenic sprouting. Surprisingly, we found that endothelial deletion of Vegfr3, but not VEGFR-3-blocking antibodies, postnatally led to excessive angiogenic sprouting and branching, and decreased the level of Notch signalling, indicating that VEGFR-3 possesses passive and active signalling modalities. Furthermore, macrophages expressing the VEGFR-3 and VEGFR-2 ligand VEGF-C localized to vessel branch points, and Vegfc heterozygous mice exhibited inefficient angiogenesis characterized by decreased vascular branching. FoxC2 is a known regulator of Notch ligand and target gene expression, and Foxc2(+/-);Vegfr3(+/-) compound heterozygosity recapitulated homozygous loss of Vegfr3. These results indicate that macrophage-derived VEGF-C activates VEGFR-3 in tip cells to reinforce Notch signalling, which contributes to the phenotypic conversion of endothelial cells at fusion points of vessel sprouts.

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  1. [45]Nilsson I VEGF receptor 2/-3 heterodimers detected in situ by proximity ligation on angiogenic sprouts EMBO J 29 1377 1388 2010 20224550 PMC2868571

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Authors
Tammela, T., Zarkada, G., Nurmi, H., Jakobsson, L., Heinolainen, K., Tvorogov, D., Zheng, W., Franco, C. A., Murtomäki, A., Aranda, E., Miura, N., Ylä-Herttuala, S., Fruttiger, M., Mäkinen, T., Eichmann, A., Pollard, J. W., Gerhardt, H., & Alitalo, K.
Affiliations
  • University of Helsinki (FI)
  • Cancer Research UK (GB)
  • Albert Einstein College of Medicine (US)
  • Hamamatsu University (JP)
  • University College London (GB)
  • Inserm (FR)
Corresponding author
Alitalo, Kari
Venue
Nature Cell Biology
Published
2011-09-11
Volume
13
Issue
10
Pages
1202-1213
ISSN
  • 1465-7392 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4679
OpenAlex
W2068104262
Cited by
321
References
70
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 29 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 33 · 2014: 30 · 2013: 41 · 2012: 33
FWCI
13.75
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Cell Biology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Adelaide Research & Scholarship (AR&S) (University of Adelaide) (submittedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Edinburgh Research Explorer (University of Edinburgh) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • Eli Lilly and Company
  • Ida Montinin Säätiö
  • Helsingin Yliopisto
  • Suomen Lääketieteen Säätiö
  • Maud Kuistilan Muistosäätiö
  • Cancer Research UK
  • Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine
  • Louis-Jeantet Foundation
  • Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
  • Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
  • Emil Aaltosen Säätiö
  • Université de Lausanne
  • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois
  • Orionin Tutkimussäätiö
  • K. Albin Johanssons Stiftelse
  • National Cancer Institute (R01CA131270)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Angiogenesis and VEGF in Cancer
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Lymphatic System and Diseases
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
Keywords
VEGFR-3, Notch signaling, angiogenic sprouting, vascular branching, macrophages, VEGF-C, VEGFR2, FOXC2
MeSH terms
Animals, Antibodies, Gene Expression Regulation, Humans, Macrophages, Neovascularization, Pathologic, Retinal Vessels, Rhombencephalon, Time Factors, Transduction, Genetic, Transfection, Signal Transduction, Mice, Knockout, Neovascularization, Physiologic, RNA Interference, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor B, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D, Endothelial Cells, Cell Line, Tumor, Protein Kinase Inhibitors, Mice, Forkhead Transcription Factors, Receptors, Notch, Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase, Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

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