Distinct molecular composition of blood and lymphatic vascular endothelial cell junctions establishes specific functional barriers within the peripheral lymph node

Pfeiffer, Friederike; Kumar, Varsha; Butz, Stefan; Vestweber, Dietmar; Imhof, Beat A; Stein, Jens V; Engelhardt, Britta (2008). Distinct molecular composition of blood and lymphatic vascular endothelial cell junctions establishes specific functional barriers within the peripheral lymph node. European journal of immunology, 38(8), pp. 2142-55. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH 10.1002/eji.200838140

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Lymph nodes are strategically localized at the interfaces between the blood and lymphatic vascular system, delivering immune cells and antigens to the lymph node. As cellular junctions of endothelial cells actively regulate vascular permeability and cell traffic, we have investigated their molecular composition by performing an extensive immunofluorescence study for adherens and tight junction molecules, including vascular endothelium (VE)-cadherin, the vascular claudins 1, 3, 5 and 12, occludin, members of the junctional adhesion molecule family plus endothelial cell-selective adhesion molecule (ESAM)-1, platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1, ZO-1 and ZO-2. We found that junctions of high endothelial venules (HEV), which serve as entry site for naive lymphocytes, are unique due to their lack of the endothelial cell-specific claudin-5. LYVE-1(+) sinus-lining endothelial cells form a diffusion barrier for soluble molecules that arrive at the afferent lymph and use claudin-5 and ESAM-1 to establish characteristic tight junctions. Analysis of the spatial relationship between the different vascular compartments revealed that HEV extend beyond the paracortex into the medullary sinuses, where they are protected from direct contact with the lymph by sinus-lining endothelial cells. The specific molecular architecture of cellular junctions present in blood and lymphatic vessel endothelium in peripheral lymph nodes establishes distinct barriers controlling the distribution of antigens and immune cells within this tissue.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Pre-clinic Human Medicine > Theodor Kocher Institute
UniBE Contributor:	Pfeiffer, Friederike, Kumar, Varsha, Stein, Jens Volker, Engelhardt, Britta
ISSN:	0014-2980
ISBN:	18629939
Publisher:	Wiley-VCH
Language:	English
Submitter:	Factscience Import
Date Deposited:	04 Oct 2013 15:05
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:20
Publisher DOI:	10.1002/eji.200838140
PubMed ID:	18629939
Web of Science ID:	000258680100011
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/28194 (FactScience: 118492)