Postnatal lymphatic partitioning from the blood vasculature in the small intestine requires fasting-induced adipose factor

F Bäckhed, PA Crawford… - Proceedings of the …, 2007 - National Acad Sciences
F Bäckhed, PA Crawford, D O'Donnell, JI Gordon
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2007National Acad Sciences
Lymphatic vessels develop from specialized venous endothelial cells. Using knockout mice,
we found that fasting-induced adipose factor (Fiaf) is required for functional partitioning of
postnatal intestinal lymphatic and blood vessels. In wild-type animals, levels of intestinal Fiaf
expression rise during the first postnatal day and peak at day 2, which coincides with the
onset of the lymphatico-venous partitioning abnormality in Fiaf−/− mutants on a mixed
129/SvJ: C57BL/6 genetic background. Fiaf deficiency is not associated with disruption of …
Lymphatic vessels develop from specialized venous endothelial cells. Using knockout mice, we found that fasting-induced adipose factor (Fiaf) is required for functional partitioning of postnatal intestinal lymphatic and blood vessels. In wild-type animals, levels of intestinal Fiaf expression rise during the first postnatal day and peak at day 2, which coincides with the onset of the lymphatico-venous partitioning abnormality in Fiaf−/− mutants on a mixed 129/SvJ:C57BL/6 genetic background. Fiaf deficiency is not associated with disruption of the blood vasculature or with lymphatic endothelial recruitment of smooth muscle cells. We identified Prox1, a critical regulator of lymphangiogenesis, as a downstream target for Fiaf signaling in the intestinal lymphatic endothelium. This organ-specific lymphovascular abnormality can be rescued by allowing embryonic Fiaf−/− intestinal isografts to develop in Fiaf+/+ recipients.
National Acad Sciences