Activins as Regulators of Branching Morphogenesis

Developmental Biology

Emma M.A. Ball¹  Gail P. Risbridger¹ 

[1] Centre for Urological Research, Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

关键词: branching morphogenesis;    organogenesis;    embryogenesis;    activin;    inhibin;    follistatin;    TGFβ;    epithelium;    mesenchyme;    stroma;   

DOI  :  10.1006/dbio.2001.0399

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Academic Press

【 摘 要 】

Developmentofglandularorganssuchasthekidney,lung,andprostateinvolvestheprocessofbranchingmorphogenesis.Thedevelopingorganbeginsasanepithelialbudthatinvadesthesurroundingmesenchyme,projectingdividingepithelialcordsortubesawayfromthesiteofinitiation.Thisisatightlyregulatedprocessthatrequirescomplexepithelial–mesenchymalinteractions,resultinginathree-dimensionaltreelikestructure.Weproposethatactivinsarekeygrowthanddifferentiationfactorsduringthisprocess.Thepurposeofthisreviewistoexaminethedirect,indirect,andcorrelativelinesofevidencetosupportthishypothesis.Theexpressionofactivinsisreviewedtogetherwiththeeffectofactivinsandfollistatinsinthedevelopmentofbranchedorgans.Wedemonstratethatactivinhasbothnegativeandpositiveeffectsoncellgrowthduringbranchingmorphogenesis,highlightingthecomplexnatureofactivinintheregulationofproliferationanddifferentiation.Weproposepotentialmechanismsforthewayinwhichactivinsmodifybranchingandaddresstheissueofwhetheractivinisaregulatorofbranchingmorphogenesis.

【 授权许可】

Unknown