PLVAP (E4U6V) XP^® Rabbit mAb #24764

PLVAP (plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein) is an endothelial cell (EC)-specific type II membrane protein. It forms diaphragms that bridge the opening of caveolae, fenestrae, and trans-endothelial channels and plays a role in regulating vascular permeability. PLVAP expression is restricted to a subset of ECs in the normal microvasculature, but it is not expressed in the ECs of large vessels, with the exception of the endocardial lining of the heart chambers (1). While PLVAP is expressed in ECs in the brain and retina during embryogenesis and postnatal development, it is not expressed in mature endothelium that forms blood–brain barrier (BBB) and blood–retinal barrier (BRB). However, under pathological conditions associated with barrier disruption such as brain ischemia, cancer, and diabetic retinopathy, PLVAP expression is induced in endothelium of BBB and BRB (2). PLVAP was previously considered as an EC marker of the vascular system, its expression is now reported in lymphatic ECs (LECs) in lymph nodes and it may play a role in regulating the parenchymal entry of lymphocytes and soluble antigens (3,4).