Summary: Newly discovered lymphatic ‘scavengers’ the brain may help protect against some neurodegenerative diseases.
Source: University of Queensland.
The brain has its own inbuilt processes for mopping up damaging cellular waste — and these processes may provide protection from stroke and dementia.
University of Queensland scientists discovered a new type of lymphatic brain “scavenger” cell by studying tropical freshwater zebrafish — which share many of the same cell types and organs as humans.
Lead researcher Associate Professor Ben Hogan from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience said the fundamental discovery would help scientists understand how the brain forms and functions.
“It is rare to discover a cell type in the brain that we didn’t know about previously, and particularly a cell type that we didn’t expect to be there,” he said.
“The brain is the only organ without a known lymphatic system, so the fact that these cells are lymphatic in nature and surround the brain makes this finding quite a surprise.
“These cells appear to be the zebrafish version of cells described in humans called “mato” or lipid laden cells, which clear fats and lipids from the system but were not known to be lymphatic in nature.
“When wastes such as excess fats leak out of the bloodstream, it is the job of the lymphatic system to clean them out to avoid damaging our organs.”
Dr Hogan said the study focused on the presence and development of “scavenger” cells in zebrafish, however there was good reason to believe that equivalent cells surrounded and protected the human brain from a build-up of cellular waste.
“Zebrafish are naturally transparent, which means we can use advanced light microscopes to see directly into the zebrafish brain,” Dr Hogan said.
“Examining the zebrafish brain up close allowed us to find these cells and see how they form and function in detail.
“Normally, lymphatic endothelial cells will group together to form lymphatic vessels to carry fluid, but impressively, in the adult zebrafish brain these cells exist individually, independent of vessels and collect waste that enter the brain from the bloodstream.
“Our focus now is to investigate how these cells function in humans and see if we can control them with existing drugs to promote brain health, and improve our understanding of neurological diseases such as stroke and dementia.”
Funding: The National Health and Medical Research Council and UQ funded the research.
Source: Gemma Ward – University of Queensland
Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is credited to University of Queensland.
Original Research: Abstract for “Mural lymphatic endothelial cells regulate meningeal angiogenesis in the zebrafish” by Neil I Bower, Katarzyna Koltowska, Cathy Pichol-Thievend, Isaac Virshup, Scott Paterson, Anne K Lagendijk, Weili Wang, Benjamin W Lindsey, Stephen J Bent, Sungmin Baek, Maria Rondon-Galeano, Daniel G Hurley, Naoki Mochizuki, Cas Simons, Mathias Francois, Christine A Wells, Jan Kaslin & Benjamin M Hogan in Nature Neuroscience. Published online May 1 2017 doi:10.1038/nn.4558
[cbtabs][cbtab title=”MLA”]University of Queensland “Lymphatic ‘Scavengers’ Discovered in Brain Cells.” NeuroscienceNews. NeuroscienceNews, 1 May 2017.
<https://neurosciencenews.com/lymphatic-brain-scavengers-6559/>.[/cbtab][cbtab title=”APA”]University of Queensland (2017, May 1). Lymphatic ‘Scavengers’ Discovered in Brain Cells. NeuroscienceNew. Retrieved May 1, 2017 from https://neurosciencenews.com/lymphatic-brain-scavengers-6559/[/cbtab][cbtab title=”Chicago”]University of Queensland “Lymphatic ‘Scavengers’ Discovered in Brain Cells.” https://neurosciencenews.com/lymphatic-brain-scavengers-6559/ (accessed May 1, 2017).[/cbtab][/cbtabs]
Abstract
Mural lymphatic endothelial cells regulate meningeal angiogenesis in the zebrafish
Mural cells of the vertebrate brain maintain vascular integrity and function, play roles in stroke and are involved in maintenance of neural stem cells. However, the origins, diversity and roles of mural cells remain to be fully understood. Using transgenic zebrafish, we identified a population of isolated mural lymphatic endothelial cells surrounding meningeal blood vessels. These meningeal mural lymphatic endothelial cells (muLECs) express lymphatic endothelial cell markers and form by sprouting from blood vessels. In larvae, muLECs develop from a lymphatic endothelial loop in the midbrain into a dispersed, nonlumenized mural lineage. muLEC development requires normal signaling through the Vegfc–Vegfd–Ccbe1–Vegfr3 pathway. Mature muLECs produce vascular growth factors and accumulate low-density lipoproteins from the bloodstream. We find that muLECs are essential for normal meningeal vascularization. Together, these data identify an unexpected lymphatic lineage and developmental mechanism necessary for establishing normal meningeal blood vasculature.
“Mural lymphatic endothelial cells regulate meningeal angiogenesis in the zebrafish” by Neil I Bower, Katarzyna Koltowska, Cathy Pichol-Thievend, Isaac Virshup, Scott Paterson, Anne K Lagendijk, Weili Wang, Benjamin W Lindsey, Stephen J Bent, Sungmin Baek, Maria Rondon-Galeano, Daniel G Hurley, Naoki Mochizuki, Cas Simons, Mathias Francois, Christine A Wells, Jan Kaslin & Benjamin M Hogan in Nature Neuroscience. Published online May 1 2017 doi:10.1038/nn.4558
