Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
Wiley Interdiscip Rev Syst Biol Med. 2010 Nov-Dec;2(6):734-41. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.96.
Invertebrates and vertebrates use branching morphogenesis to build epithelial trees to maximize the surface area of organs within a given volume. Several molecular regulators of branching have recently been discovered, a number of which are conserved across different organs and species. Signals that control branching at the cellular and tissue levels are also starting to emerge, and are rapidly unveiling the physical nature of branch development. Here we discuss the molecular, cellular, and physical processes that govern branch formation, and highlight the major outstanding questions in the field.
无脊椎动物和脊椎动物利用分支形态发生来构建上皮树,以最大限度地增加给定体积内器官的表面积。最近发现了几个分支的分子调节剂,其中一些在不同的器官和物种中是保守的。控制细胞和组织水平分支的信号也开始出现,并迅速揭示了分支发育的物理性质。在这里,我们讨论控制分支形成的分子、细胞和物理过程,并强调该领域的主要未解决问题。