Host Lymphotoxin- β Receptor Signaling Is Crucial for Angiogenesis of Metanephric Tissue Transplanted into Lymphoid Sites

The mouse lymph node (LN) can provide a niche to grow metanephric kidney to maturity. Here, we show that signaling through the lymphotoxin- β receptor (LTβR) is critical for kidney organogenesis both in the LN and the omentum. By transplanting kidney rudiments either in the LNs of mice undergoing LTβR antagonist treatment or in the omenta of LTBR knockout (LTβR−/−) mice, the host LTβR signals were found to be crucial for obtain ing a well-vascularized kidney graft. Indeed, defective LTβR signaling correlated with decreased expression of endothelial and angiogenic markers in kidney grafts as well as structural alterations.
Source: American Journal of Pathology - Category: Pathology Authors: Source Type: research