2007-02-01
Gata-3 is an essential regulator of mammary-gland morphogenesis and luminal-cell differentiation
Publication
Publication
Nature Cell Biology , Volume 9 - Issue 2 p. 201- 209
The transcription factor Gata-3 is a defining marker of the 'luminal' subtypes of breast cancer. To gain insight into the role of Gata-3 in breast epithelial development and oncogenesis, we have explored its normal function within the mammary gland by conditionally deleting Gata-3 at different stages of development. We report that Gata-3 has essential roles in the morphogenesis of the mammary gland in both the embryo and adult. Through the discovery of a novel marker (β3-integrin) of luminal progenitor cells and their purification, we demonstrate that Gata-3 deficiency leads to an expansion of luminal progenitors and a concomitant block in differentiation. Remarkably, introduction of Gata-3 into a stem cell-enriched population induced maturation along the alveolar luminal lineage. These studies provide evidence for the existence of an epithelial hierarchy within the mammary gland and establish Gata-3 as a critical regulator of luminal differentiation.
Additional Metadata | |
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doi.org/10.1038/ncb1530, hdl.handle.net/1765/36940 | |
Nature Cell Biology | |
Organisation | Erasmus MC: University Medical Center Rotterdam |
Asselin-Labat, M.-L., Sutherland, K., Barker, H., Thomas, R., Shackleton, M., Forrest, N., … Visvader, J. (2007). Gata-3 is an essential regulator of mammary-gland morphogenesis and luminal-cell differentiation. Nature Cell Biology, 9(2), 201–209. doi:10.1038/ncb1530 |