First published online February 9, 2006
Development 133, 504e (2006)
© The Company of Biologists Limited
Ductal morphogenesis: new cues
Slits and netrins are well-known neural guidance cues. However, on
p. 823, Strickland et
al. report that these proteins also act as adhesive cues during mammary gland
development, thus providing new insights into ductal morphogenesis. The
bilayered branched epithelial tubes of the mammary gland contain an outer
cap/myoepithelial cell layer and an inner luminal epithelial layer. The
researchers show that both layers express SLIT2 during duct elongation but
that only the cap/myoepithelial cells express ROBO1, the SLIT2 receptor. Mice
lacking both Slit2 and Robo1 have disorganized ductal end
buds, which resemble those of mice lacking netrin 1
(Ntn1-/- mice). Slit2-/-;
Ntn1-/- glands have an even more extreme phenotype that is
characterized by the separation of the two ductal cell layers. The researchers
confirm this is an adhesive defect by showing that Slit2-/-;
Ntn1-/- cells fail to form bilayered organoids in vitro. They
conclude that SLIT2 and NTN1 act in parallel as adhesive cues to preserve the
bilayer structure of the mammary gland during morphogenetic modelling.

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Related articles in Development:
- Slit2 and netrin 1 act synergistically as adhesive cues to generate tubular bi-layers during ductal morphogenesis
- Phyllis Strickland, Grace C. Shin, Andrew Plump, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, and Lindsay Hinck
Development 2006 133: 823-832.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]