Mitochondrial respiration controls the Prox1-Vegfr3 feedback loop during lymphatic endothelial cell fate specification and maintenance.

Recent findings indicate that mitochondrial respiration regulates blood endothelial cell proliferation; however, its role in differentiating lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) is unknown. We hypothesized that mitochondria could work as a sensor of LECs' metabolic specific needs by determining their functional requirements according to their differentiation status and local tissue microenvironment. Accordingly, we conditionally deleted the QPC subunit of mitochondrial complex III in differentiating LECs of mouse embryos.

Lymphoangiocrine signals promote cardiac growth and repair.

Recent studies have suggested that lymphatics help to restore heart function after cardiac injury. Here we report that lymphatics promote cardiac growth, repair and cardioprotection in mice. We show that a lymphoangiocrine signal produced by lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) controls the proliferation and survival of cardiomyocytes during heart development, improves neonatal cardiac regeneration and is cardioprotective after myocardial infarction.