Cellular characterization of the mouse collecting lymphatic vessels reveals that lymphatic muscle cells are the innate pacemaker cells.

ABSTRACT: Collecting lymphatic vessels (cLVs) exhibit spontaneous contractions with a pressure-dependent frequency, but the identity of the lymphatic pacemaker cell is still debated. Here we combined immunofluorescence and scRNAseq analyses with electrophysiological methods to examine the cellular constituents of the mouse cLV wall and assess whether any cell type exhibited morphological and functional processes characteristic of pacemaker cells. We employed inducible Cre (iCre) mouse models to target specific cell populations including c-kitCreER ^T2 to target interstitial cells of Cajal like cells; PdgfrβCreER ^T2 to target pericyte-like cells; PdgfrαCreER ^TM to target CD34⁺ adventitial cells; and Myh11CreER ^<

SUBMITTER: Zawieja SD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10473772 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature