Open AccessBranch formation during organ development
Author(s) -
Gjorevski Nikolce,
Nelson Celeste M.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
wiley interdisciplinary reviews: systems biology and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.087
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1939-005X
pISSN - 1939-5094
DOI - 10.1002/wsbm.96
Subject(s) - branching (polymer chemistry) , biology , morphogenesis , evolutionary biology , developmental biology , computational biology , neuroscience , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , genetics , gene , organic chemistry
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. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. This article is categorized under: Developmental Biology > Developmental Processes in Health and Disease