title: Nonmuscle myosin II regulation of lung epithelial morphology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The regulation of epithelial cell shape and orientation during lung branching morphogenesis is not clearly understood. Nonmuscle myosins regulate cell size, morphology, and planar cell polarity. Here, we test the hypothesis that nonmuscle myosin II (NM II) regulates lung epithelial morphology in a spatially restricted manner.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Epithelial cell orientation at airway tips in fetal mouse lungs underwent a significant transformation at embryonic day (E) E17. Treatment of E15 lung explants with the NM II inhibitor blebbistatin increased airway branching, epithelial cell size, and the degree of anisotropy in epithelial cells lining the airway stalks. In cultured MLE-12 lung epithelial cells, blebbistatin increased cell velocity, but left the migratory response to FGF-10 unchanged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the developing lung, NM II acts to constrain cell morphology and orientation, but may be suppressed at sites of branching and cell migration. The regulation of epithelial orientation may therefore undergo dynamic variations from E15 to E17.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
authors.forename: Erin J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Plosa
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Gooding
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zent
authors.forename: Lawrence S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Prince
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D024462:Myosin Type II / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D024462:Myosin Type II