VEGFR2 is required for VEGF-C–VEGFR3–PI3Kα-mediated sprouting lymphangiogenesis

Abstract

Abstract Lymphatic vessels are essential for tissue homoeostasis and their growth is regulated by vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) signalling through VEGFR3. However, how VEGF-C balances lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) proliferation versus sprouting to ensure functional vessel formation has remained unclear. Using high-fidelity conditional genetics and receptor-specific ligands, we uncover a requirement for the alternative receptor VEGFR2 in VEGF-C-VEGFR3–driven lymphatic vessel sprouting. While activation of VEGFR2 alone fails to induce lymphangiogenesis, VEGFR2 loss abolishes LEC sprouting, but not proliferation, in response to VEGF-C. In contrast, deletion of the VEGFR3 downstream effector PI3Kα completely abrogates lymphangiogenesis. VEGFR2 is activated and found in proximity to VEGFR3 in LECs in vivo, with PI3Kα controlling their relative cell-surface availability and VEGF-C increasing VEGFR2 relative to VEGFR3, thereby priming LECs for sprouting. This receptor coordination balances VEGF-C-driven proliferative and sprouting responses, coupling LEC expansion to vessel growth, ensuring the formation of functional lymphatic networks.