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. 2017 Feb 9;8:104. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00104

Figure 1.

Figure 1

The effect of inflammation on the microRNAs (miRNA) landscape of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). (A) Under homeostatic conditions, miRNAs, including miR-126, miR-21, and miR-132, contribute to normal LEC function. Lymphatic identity is maintained through suppression of the blood endothelial cell (BEC)-enriched miRNAs miR-31 and miR-181a, which can repress LEC-specific genes, including the master LEC fate regulator PROX1 and the receptor tyrosine kinase vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR-3). (B) During inflammation, a set of immunologically active miRNAs (miR-155, miR-132, miR-146a) are induced and shape LEC immune responses. In addition, LEC-specific genes are downregulated and miRNAs, including miR-9, miR-1236, and miR-K12-11, a viral ortholog of miR-155, contribute to the loss of LEC identity. It is likely that other miRNAs may modulate immune gene expression and lineage plasticity in LECs.