The molecular mechanisms underlying lymphatic vascular development and function are not well understood. Recent studies have suggested a role for endothelial cell (EC) mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase 4 (Map4k4) in developmental angiogenesis and atherosclerosis. Here, we show that constitutive loss of EC Map4k4 in mice causes postnatal lethality due to chylothorax, suggesting that Map4k4 is required for normal lymphatic vascular function. Mice constitutively lacking EC Map4k4 displayed dilated lymphatic capillaries, insufficient lymphatic valves, and impaired lymphatic flow; furthermore, primary ECs derived from these animals displayed enhanced proliferation compared with controls. Yeast 2-hybrid analyses identified the Ras GTPase-activating protein Rasa1, a known regulator of lymphatic development and lymphatic endothelial cell fate, as a direct interacting partner for Map4k4. Map4k4 silencing in ECs enhanced basal Ras and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) activities, and primary ECs lacking Map4k4 displayed enhanced lymphatic EC marker expression. Taken together, these results reveal that EC Map4k4 is critical for lymphatic vascular development by regulating EC quiescence and lymphatic EC fate.
The vascular system is comprised of arteries and veins, which deliver nutrients to organs via capillaries and lymphatic vessels, which in turn reabsorb fluid from tissues for delivery back into the circulation. Both blood and lymphatic vessels are lined with endothelial cells (ECs), which are critical for the function and maintenance of both vascular networks (1). Normal lymphatic vascular function is required for maintaining fluid balance, immune surveillance, and lipid homeostasis (2, 3). In contrast, lymphatic vascular dysfunction is associated with numerous diseases, including developmental abnormalities, cancer metastasis, and lymphedema (4, 5). Though common pathways are involved in early vascular development, specialized molecules are required to drive and maintain lymphatic endothelial cell fate specification both during and after development (6, 7), and the signaling pathways that specifically promote lymphatic vascular development are still not well understood.Our laboratory recently demonstrated that mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase 4 (Map4k4) has a profound role within the endothelium to promote atherosclerosis development and lymphocyte recruitment in inducible, endotheliumspecific Map4k4 knockout animals on an Apoe ÏȘ/ÏȘ background (8). The present studies were designed to investigate the role of Map4k4 in endothelial cell function in more detail. We observed that mouse pups lacking endothelial Map4k4 displayed postnatal lethality due to chyle leakage into the thoracic cavity after birth (chylothorax) when constitutively expressed Cdh5 Cre (Ve-cadherin Cre) (9) was used to delete Map4k4 in the endothelium. Furthermore, animals constitutively lacking EC Map4k4 displayed dilated lymphatic capillaries, abnormal valves, and impaired lymphatic flow. Yeast 2-hybr...