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- Title
Formation and Differentiation of Multiple Mesenchymal Lineages during Lung Development Is Regulated by β-catenin Signaling.
- Authors
De Langhe, Stijn P.; Carraro, Gianni; Tefft, Denise; Changgong Li; Xin Xu; Yang Chai; Minoo, Parviz; Hajihosseini, Mohammad K.; Drouin, Jacques; Kaartinen, Vesa; Bellusci, Savério
- Abstract
Background. The role of ß-catenin signaling in mesodermal lineage formation and differentiation has been elusive. Methodology. To define the role of ß-catenin signaling in these processes, we used a Dermo1(Twist2)Cre/+ line to target a floxed β-catenin allele, throughout the embryonic mesenchyme. Strikingly, the Dermo1Cre/+; β-cateninf/- conditional Knock Out embryos largely phenocopy Pitx1-/-/Pitx2-/- double knockout embryos, suggesting that ß-catenin signaling in the mesenchyme depends mostly on the PITX family of transcription factors. We have dissected this relationship further in the developing lungs and find that mesenchymal deletion of β-catenin differentially affects two major mesenchymal lineages. The amplification but not differentiation of Fgf10-expressing parabronchial smooth muscle progenitor cells is drastically reduced. In the angioblast-endothelial lineage, however, only differentiation into mature endothelial cells is impaired. Conclusion. Taken together these findings reveal a hierarchy of gene activity involving ß-catenin and PITX, as important regulators of mesenchymal cell proliferation and differentiation.
- Subjects
MESENCHYME; CONNECTIVE tissues; CELL proliferation; CELL growth; CELL populations; TRANSCRIPTION factors; GENETIC regulation; MOLECULAR genetics; GENE expression; PHYSIOLOGY
- Publication
PLoS ONE, 2008, Vol 3, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
1932-6203
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0001516