在胚胎发育的时候，我们有许多内脏器官是通过上皮细胞的反复分支而形成的。研究人员说，一种被称作Btbd7的特殊基因对这一过程有帮助。 Tomohiro Onodera及其同事对小鼠的发育进行了研究并发现，Btbd7蛋白控制着唾液腺和肺脏生长的上皮细胞分支。
应用成像技术，研究人员能够观察到Btbd7调控着这种细胞分支以形成器官特征性结构所需的“裂隙”。 Onodera及其同事说，Btbd7是通过调控诸如Snail2和 E-cadherin等其它蛋白质来完成这一工作的。 他们还说，该蛋白质通过抑制细胞之间的相互粘附而将细胞释放出来，并使它们能够按照在哺乳动物中分支器官生长所必需的方向迁徙。 （生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原文出处：
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1191880
Btbd7 Regulates Epithelial Cell Dynamics and Branching Morphogenesis
Tomohiro Onodera,1,* Takayoshi Sakai,1,2,*, Jeff Chi-feng Hsu,1,* Kazue Matsumoto,1 John A. Chiorini,3 Kenneth M. Yamada1,
During embryonic development, many organs form by extensive branching of epithelia through the formation of clefts and buds. In cleft formation, buds are delineated by the conversion of epithelial cell-cell adhesions to cell-matrix adhesions, but the mechanisms of cleft formation are not clear. We have identified Btbd7 as a dynamic regulator of branching morphogenesis. Btbd7 provides a mechanistic link between the extracellular matrix and cleft propagation through its highly focal expression leading to local regulation of Snail2 (Slug), E-cadherin, and epithelial cell motility. Inhibition experiments show that Btbd7 is required for branching of embryonic mammalian salivary glands and lungs. Hence, Btbd7 is a regulatory gene that promotes epithelial tissue remodeling and formation of branched organs.
