Lung epithelial branching program antagonizes alveolar differentiation
Abstract
Mammalian organs, including the lung and the kidney, often use a branched design to maximize their functional capacity and efficiency. Lung formation requires two developmental processes: branching morphogenesis to build a treelike tubular network, and alveolar differentiation to generate specialized epithelial cells for gas exchange. Although each process has been extensively studied, much less is known about whether and how the two processes are coordinated. We show that an epithelial branching morphogenesis program antagonizes alveolar differentiation in the mouse lung. Our findings may provide fresh insights to lung immaturity in preterm neonates and the increase in organ complexity during evolution.
- Publication:
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- November 2013
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.1311760110
- Bibcode:
- 2013PNAS..11018042C