Growth factor active in angiogenesis, and endothelial cell growth, stimulating their proliferation and migration and also has effects on the permeability of blood vessels. May function in angiogenesis of the venous and lymphatic vascular systems during embryogenesis, and also in the maintenance of differentiated lymphatic endothelium in adults. Binds and activates KDR/VEGFR2 and FLT4/VEGFR3 receptors. Homodimer; non-covalent and antiparallel (PubMed:20145116). Interacts with FLT4/VEGFR3; the interaction is required for FLT4/VEGFR3 homodimarization and activation (PubMed:23878260). Spleen, lymph node, thymus, appendix, bone marrow, heart, placenta, ovary, skeletal muscle, prostate, testis, colon and small intestine and fetal liver, lung and kidney, but not in peripheral blood lymphocyte. Undergoes a complex proteolytic maturation which generates a variety of processed secreted forms with increased activity toward VEGFR-3, but only the fully processed form could activate VEGFR-2. VEGF-C first form an antiparallel homodimer linked by disulfide bonds. Before secretion, a cleavage occurs between Arg-227 and Ser-228 producing a heterotetramer. The next extracellular step of the processing removes the N-terminal propeptide. Finally the mature VEGF-C is composed mostly of two VEGF homology domains (VHDs) bound by non-covalent interactions. The disease is caused by variants affecting the gene represented in this entry. Belongs to the PDGF/VEGF growth factor family.