title: Branch formation during organ development.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
authors.forename: Nikolce
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gjorevski
authors.forename: Celeste M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D009024:Morphogenesis; D038081:Organogenesis; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors