Epithelial cells (organised cellular layer) which loose their organisation and migrate/proliferate as a mesenchymal cells (disorganised cellular layers) are said to have undergone an Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT).
(Image: Thiery and Sleeman, Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 7, 131-142, 2006)
Mesenchymal cells, connective tissue-like, that have undergone this process may at a later time and under specific signaling can undergo the opposite process, mesenchyme to epithelia. In development, this process can be repeated several times during tissue differentiation. This transition can occur in disease (tumorogenesis).
Examples
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition - gastrulation, neural crest cells leaving neural tube
Mesenchymal Epithelial Transition - somite formation
Page Links: Introduction | Some Recent Findings | Reading | | Objectives | Reading | Development Overview | References | Search PubMed | Glossary | WWW Links
Baum B, Settleman J, Quinlan MP. Transitions between epithelial and mesenchymal states in development and disease. Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2008 Jun;19(3):294-308.
"The ancestors of modern Metazoa were constructed in large part by the foldings and distortions of two-dimensional sheets of epithelial cells. This changed approximately 600 million years ago with the evolution of mesenchymal cells."
Shook D, Keller R. Mechanisms, mechanics and function of epithelial-mesenchymal transitions in early development. Mech Dev. 2003 Nov;120(11):1351-83
Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal–epithelial transition (MET)
(Image: Thiery and Sleeman, Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 7, 131-142, 2006)
Patel VN, Rebustini IT, Hoffman MP. Salivary gland branching morphogenesis. Differentiation. 2006 Sep;74(7):349-64.
Angel P, Szabowski A. Function of AP-1 target genes in mesenchymal-epithelial cross-talk in skin. Biochem Pharmacol. 2002 Sep;64(5-6):949-56.
Links: Journals | Online Textbooks | Search Textbooks | Reviews | Articles | Search PubMed | Glossary
Eurekah Bioscience Collection Chapters taken from the Eurekah Bioscience database. Eurekah.com and Landes Bioscience; 2003. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transformation in the Embryonic Heart
Search NLM Online Textbooks- "Epithelial Mesenchymal Interaction" : Molecular Biology of the Cell | Molecular Cell Biology | The Cell- A molecular Approach
Reviews
Baum B, Settleman J, Quinlan MP. Transitions between epithelial and mesenchymal states in development and disease. Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2008 Jun;19(3):294-308.
Denker HW, Behr R, Heneweer C, Viebahn C, Thie M. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition in Rhesus monkey embryonic stem cell colonies: a model for processes involved in gastrulation? Cells Tissues Organs. 2007;185(1-3):48-50.
Thiery JP, Sleeman JP. Complex networks orchestrate epithelial-mesenchymal transitions. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2006 Feb;7(2):131-42.
Shook D, Keller R. Mechanisms, mechanics and function of epithelial-mesenchymal transitions in early development. Mech Dev. 2003 Nov;120(11):1351-83.
Duband JL, Monier F, Delannet M, Newgreen D. Epithelium-mesenchyme transition during neural crest development. Acta Anat (Basel). 1995;154(1):63-78.
Hay ED. An overview of epithelio-mesenchymal transformation. Acta Anat (Basel). 1995;154(1):8-20.
Articles
Peterson RE, McClay DR. Primary mesenchyme cell patterning during the early stages following ingression. Dev Biol. 2003 Feb 1;254(1):68-78.
Search PubMed
Search April 2008 "Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition" 1,315 reference articles of which 243 were reviews.
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Notes under development (notice removed when complete)
Cells organised as a layer (epithelia) and cells organised as a multilayer embryonic connective tissue (mesenchymal)
Developmental mechanisms is a new section of notes where I am trying to "group" some common types of pathways together.
Please email Dr Mark Hill if you wish to make a comment about this current project.