Palmdelphin Regulates Nuclear Resilience to Mechanical Stress in the Endothelium.

BACKGROUND: PALMD (palmdelphin) belongs to the family of paralemmin proteins implicated in cytoskeletal regulation. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the PALMD locus that result in reduced expression are strong risk factors for development of calcific aortic valve stenosis and predict severity of the disease. METHODS: Immunodetection and public database screening showed dominant expression of PALMD in endothelial cells (ECs) in brain and cardiovascular tissues including aortic valves. Mass spectrometry, coimmunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescent staining allowed identification of PALMD partners. The consequence of loss of PALMD expression was assessed in small interferring RNA-treated EC cultures, knockout mice, and human valve samples. RNA sequencing of ECs and transcript arrays on valve samples from an aortic valve study cohort including patients with the single nucleotide polymorphism rs7543130 informed about gene regulatory changes. RESULTS: ECs express the cytosolic PALMD-KKVI splice variant, which associated with RANGAP1 (RAN GTP hydrolyase activating protein 1). RANGAP1 regulates the activity of the GTPase RAN and thereby nucleocytoplasmic shuttling via XPO1 (Exportin1). Reduced PALMD expression resulted in subcellular relocalization of RANGAP1 and XPO1, and nuclear arrest of the XPO1 cargoes p53 and p21. This indicates an important role for PALMD in nucleocytoplasmic transport and consequently in gene regulation because of the effect on localization of transcriptional regulators. Changes in EC responsiveness on loss of PALMD expression included failure to form a perinuclear actin cap when exposed to flow, indicating lack of protection against mechanical stress. Loss of the actin cap correlated with misalignment of the nuclear long axis relative to the cell body, observed in PALMD-deficient ECs, Palmd-/- mouse aorta, and human aortic valve samples derived from patients with calcific aortic valve stenosis. In agreement with these changes in EC behavior, gene ontology analysis showed enrichment of nuclear- and cytoskeleton-related terms in PALMD-silenced ECs. CONCLUSIONS: We identify RANGAP1 as a PALMD partner in ECs. Disrupting the PALMD/RANGAP1 complex alters the subcellular localization of RANGAP1 and XPO1, and leads to nuclear arrest of the XPO1 cargoes p53 and p21, accompanied by gene regulatory changes and loss of actin-dependent nuclear resilience. Combined, these consequences of reduced PALMD expression provide a mechanistic underpinning for PALMD's contribution to calcific aortic valve stenosis pathology.

Shear stimulation of FOXC1 and FOXC2 differentially regulates cytoskeletal activity during lymphatic valve maturation.

Mutations in the transcription factor FOXC2 are predominately associated with lymphedema. Herein, we demonstrate a key role for related factor FOXC1, in addition to FOXC2, in regulating cytoskeletal activity in lymphatic valves. FOXC1 is induced by laminar, but not oscillatory, shear and inducible, endothelial-specific deletion impaired postnatal lymphatic valve maturation in mice. However, deletion of Foxc2 induced valve degeneration, which is exacerbated in Foxc1; Foxc2 mutants. FOXC1 knockdown (KD) in human lymphatic endothelial cells increased focal adhesions and actin stress fibers whereas FOXC2-KD increased focal adherens and disrupted cell junctions, mediated by increased ROCK activation. ROCK inhibition rescued cytoskeletal or junctional integrity changes induced by inactivation of FOXC1 and FOXC2 invitro and vivo respectively, but only ameliorated valve degeneration in Foxc2 mutants. These results identify both FOXC1 and FOXC2 as mediators of mechanotransduction in the postnatal lymphatic vasculature and posit cytoskeletal signaling as a therapeutic target in lymphatic pathologies.

DLL4 promotes continuous adult intestinal lacteal regeneration and dietary fat transport.

The small intestine is a dynamic and complex organ that is characterized by constant epithelium turnover and crosstalk among various cell types and the microbiota. Lymphatic capillaries of the small intestine, called lacteals, play key roles in dietary fat absorption and the gut immune response; however, little is known about the molecular regulation of lacteal function. Here, we performed a high-resolution analysis of the small intestinal stroma and determined that lacteals reside in a permanent regenerative, proliferative state that is distinct from embryonic lymphangiogenesis or quiescent lymphatic vessels observed in other tissues. We further demonstrated that this continuous regeneration process is mediated by Notch signaling and that the expression of the Notch ligand delta-like 4 (DLL4) in lacteals requires activation of VEGFR3 and VEGFR2. Moreover, genetic inactivation of Dll4 in lymphatic endothelial cells led to lacteal regression and impaired dietary fat uptake. We propose that such a slow lymphatic regeneration mode is necessary to match a unique need of intestinal lymphatic vessels for both continuous maintenance, due to the constant exposure to dietary fat and mechanical strain, and efficient uptake of fat and immune cells. Our work reveals how lymphatic vessel responses are shaped by tissue specialization and uncover a role for continuous DLL4 signaling in the function of adult lymphatic vasculature.

FOXC2 and fluid shear stress stabilize postnatal lymphatic vasculature.

Biomechanical forces, such as fluid shear stress, govern multiple aspects of endothelial cell biology. In blood vessels, disturbed flow is associated with vascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, and promotes endothelial cell proliferation and apoptosis. Here, we identified an important role for disturbed flow in lymphatic vessels, in which it cooperates with the transcription factor FOXC2 to ensure lifelong stability of the lymphatic vasculature. In cultured lymphatic endothelial cells, FOXC2 inactivation conferred abnormal shear stress sensing, promoting junction disassembly and entry into the cell cycle. Loss of FOXC2-dependent quiescence was mediated by the Hippo pathway transcriptional coactivator TAZ and, ultimately, led to cell death. In murine models, inducible deletion of Foxc2 within the lymphatic vasculature led to cell-cell junction defects, regression of valves, and focal vascular lumen collapse, which triggered generalized lymphatic vascular dysfunction and lethality. Together, our work describes a fundamental mechanism by which FOXC2 and oscillatory shear stress maintain lymphatic endothelial cell quiescence through intercellular junction and cytoskeleton stabilization and provides an essential link between biomechanical forces and endothelial cell identity that is necessary for postnatal vessel homeostasis. As FOXC2 is mutated in lymphedema-distichiasis syndrome, our data also underscore the role of impaired mechanotransduction in the pathology of this hereditary human disease.

GATA2 is required for lymphatic vessel valve development and maintenance.

Heterozygous germline mutations in the zinc finger transcription factor GATA2 have recently been shown to underlie a range of clinical phenotypes, including Emberger syndrome, a disorder characterized by lymphedema and predisposition to myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukemia (MDS/AML). Despite well-defined roles in hematopoiesis, the functions of GATA2 in the lymphatic vasculature and the mechanisms by which GATA2 mutations result in lymphedema have not been characterized. Here, we have provided a molecular explanation for lymphedema predisposition in a subset of patients with germline GATA2 mutations. Specifically, we demonstrated that Emberger-associated GATA2 missense mutations result in complete loss of GATA2 function, with respect to the capacity to regulate the transcription of genes that are important for lymphatic vessel valve development. We identified a putative enhancer element upstream of the key lymphatic transcriptional regulator PROX1 that is bound by GATA2, and the transcription factors FOXC2 and NFATC1. Emberger GATA2 missense mutants had a profoundly reduced capacity to bind this element. Conditional Gata2 deletion in mice revealed that GATA2 is required for both development and maintenance of lymphovenous and lymphatic vessel valves. Together, our data unveil essential roles for GATA2 in the lymphatic vasculature and explain why a select catalogue of human GATA2 mutations results in lymphedema.

Cdk5 controls lymphatic vessel development and function by phosphorylation of Foxc2.

The lymphatic system maintains tissue fluid balance, and dysfunction of lymphatic vessels and valves causes human lymphedema syndromes. Yet, our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying lymphatic vessel development is still limited. Here, we show that cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is an essential regulator of lymphatic vessel development. Endothelial-specific Cdk5 knockdown causes congenital lymphatic dysfunction and lymphedema due to defective lymphatic vessel patterning and valve formation. We identify the transcription factor Foxc2 as a key substrate of Cdk5 in the lymphatic vasculature, mechanistically linking Cdk5 to lymphatic development and valve morphogenesis. Collectively, our findings show that Cdk5-Foxc2 interaction represents a critical regulator of lymphatic vessel development and the transcriptional network underlying lymphatic vascular remodeling.