Role for mitogen-activated protein kinase p38α in lung epithelial branching morphogenesis

摘要: In the early stages of lung development, endoderm undergoes extensive and stereotypic branching morphogenesis. During this process, a simple epithelial bud develops into complex tree-like system tubes specialized for transport exchange gas with blood. The endodermal cells in distal tips developing express special set genes, have higher proliferation rate than proximal part, undergo shape change initiate study, we found that four p38 only alpha mRNA is localized specifically to suggesting role regulation budding Chemical inhibitors specific beta isoforms suppress embryonic mouse explants isolated vitro. Specific knockdown cultured using shRNA also inhibited morphogenesis, consistent chemical inhibition signaling pathway. Disruption did not affect or expression cell markers, Sox9 Erm. However, amount E-cadherin protein increased significantly ectopic impaired These results suggest modulates cell-cell interactions possibly rearrangement during This study provides first evidence involved morphogenesis an organ.