part of part of develops from endothelial cell endothelial cell of lymphatic vessel 2010-08-24T02:05:28Z lymphatic endothelial cell A endothelial cell of a lymphatic vessel. The border of the oak leaf-shaped endothelial cell of initial lymphatics are joined by specialized buttons. The discontinuous feature of buttons distinguishes them from zippers in collecting lymphatics, but both types of junctions are composed of proteins typical of adherens junctions and tight junctions found in the endothelium of blood vessels. Buttons seal the sides of flaps of the oak leaf-shaped endothelial cell, leaving open the tips of flaps as routes for fluid entry without disassembly and reformation of intercellular junctions. BTO:0004167 FMA:68458 https://cellxgene.cziscience.com/cellguide/CL_0002138 Endothelial cells of lymphatic vessels are specialized type of cells that form the interior lining of the lymphatic system, which primarily comprises the lymph vessels and nodes. These cells play a critical role in creating a barrier between the lymphatic system and the surrounding tissues. They are structurally different from the endothelial cells of the blood vessels due to the presence of anchoring filaments and lack of a continuous basement membrane, and have a unique phenotype marked by the expression of various cell-specific markers such as Prox-1, VEGFR-3, and LYVE-1. A significant function of these endothelial cells is to maintain the fluid balance within the body. They facilitate the uptake of excess interstitial fluid that collects in the body tissues, and ensure its transport back into the bloodstream via the lymphatic vessels. These cells also enable the absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins from the digestive system, and their subsequent transport in the form of chyle, a milky fluid, to the blood. Furthermore, endothelial cells of lymphatic vessels play a pivotal role in the body's immune response. They enable the passage of lymphocytes, that are crucial for the body's defense mechanism, from the tissues into the lymph where these cells are activated to fight against foreign bodies and infections. Also, they regulate inflammation reactions by controlling the migration of inflammatory cells, and are thus involved in pathological conditions with an inflammatory component. Lastly, these cells have been noted for their involvement in various disease states related to tissue edema, metastasis, and tumor growth, thus highlighting their importance in both health and disease states. (This extended description was generated by ChatGPT and reviewed by the CellGuide team, who added references, and by the CL editors, who approved it for inclusion in CL. It may contain information that applies only to some subtypes and species, and so should not be considered definitional.) LEC endothelial cell of vascular tree vascular lymphangioblast Homo sapiens lymphatic vessel