Arteries provide essential guidance cues for lymphatic endothelial cells in the zebrafish trunk Development Kawakami Laboratory, Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology Arteries provide essential guidance cues for lymphatic endothelial cells in the zebrafish trunk. Jeroen Bussmann, Frank L. Bos, Akihiro Urasaki, Koichi Kawakami, Henricus J. Duckers and Stefan Schulte-Merker, Development, 137, 2653-2657. (2010)　doi:10.1242/dev.048207 　The endothelial cells of the vertebrate lymphatic system assemble into complex networks, but local cues that guide the migration of this distinct set of cells are currently unknown. As a model for lymphatic patterning, we have studied the simple vascular network of the zebrafish trunk consisting of three types of lymphatic vessels that develop in close connection with the blood vasculature. We have generated transgenic lines that allow us to distinguish between arterial, venous and lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) within a single zebrafish embryo. We found that LECs migrate exclusively along arteries in a manner that suggests that arterial endothelial cells serve as the LEC migratory substrate. In the absence of intersegmental arteries, LEC migration in the trunk is blocked. Our data therefore demonstrate a crucial role for arteries in LEC guidance. (This work was carried out in collaboration with Schulte-Merker lab at Hubrecht Institute, Netherlands) 　 Lateral view of a zebrafish trunk at 5 dpf. Endothelial cells of arterial identity are depicted in cyan blue (transgene flt1), while cells of lymphatic identity are highlighted in red (transgene SAGFF27C). Note the close juxtaposition of the intersegmental artery and the intersegmental lymphatic vessel. Home Page of Kawakami Laboratory ←Back