Activins as Regulators of Branching Morphogenesis
- 1 October 2001
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Elsevier BV in Developmental Biology
- Vol. 238 (1), 1-12
- https://doi.org/10.1006/dbio.2001.0399
Abstract
Development of glandular organs such as the kidney, lung, and prostate involves the process of branching morphogenesis. The developing organ begins as an epithelial bud that invades the surrounding mesenchyme, projecting dividing epithelial cords or tubes away from the site of initiation. This is a tightly regulated process that requires complex epithelial–mesenchymal interactions, resulting in a three-dimensional treelike structure. We propose that activins are key growth and differentiation factors during this process. The purpose of this review is to examine the direct, indirect, and correlative lines of evidence to support this hypothesis. The expression of activins is reviewed together with the effect of activins and follistatins in the development of branched organs. We demonstrate that activin has both negative and positive effects on cell growth during branching morphogenesis, highlighting the complex nature of activin in the regulation of proliferation and differentiation. We propose potential mechanisms for the way in which activins modify branching and address the issue of whether activin is a regulator of branching morphogenesis.Keywords
This publication has 96 references indexed in Scilit:
- Number of Glomeruli Is Increased in the Kidney of Transgenic Mice Expressing the Truncated Type II Activin ReceptorBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2000
- Identification and Developmental Expression of Two Activin Receptors in Baboon LungBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 1996
- Molecular Cloning of the Mouse Activin βESubunit GeneBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 1996
- Measurement of Activin B in Human Saliva and Localization of Activin Subunits in Rat Salivary GlandsBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 1996
- Molecular Cloning and Functional Analysis of a New Activin β Subunit: A Dorsal Mesoderm-Inducing Activity in XenopusBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 1995
- Functional analysis of activins during mammalian developmentNature, 1995
- Cloning of a New Member of the TGF-β Family: A Putative New Activin βC ChainBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 1995
- Activin receptor mRNA is expressed early in Xenopus embryogenesis and the level of the expression affects the body axis formationBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 1991
- Activin-Binding Protein from Rat Ovary Is FollistatinScience, 1990
- Pituitary FSH is released by a heterodimer of the β-subunits from the two forms of inhibinNature, 1986