Developmental Mechanism - Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition
Introduction
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).
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 process is also studied in carcinogenesis (oncogenesis) or cancer development, where part of this process can be the transformation of an epithelial cell into a mesenchymal cell.[1][2]
Some Recent Findings
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Heart Development=
During heart development endocardial and epicardial cells produce non-cardiomyocyte lineages undergo rounds of epithelial to mesenchymal transition, see review.[4]
Mesenchymal-to-Epithelial Transition
The alternate process involves the conversion of the embryonic connective tissue organization (mesenchyme) to an epithelial organization (epithelium) that can occur during developmental processes.
This process can be seen occurring during early somitogenesis.
A recent paper also suggests that this mechanism occurs in the maternal uterus during endometrial regeneration following decidualization.[5]
References
Textbooks
Reviews
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Articles
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Cite this page: Hill, M.A. (2024, June 15) Embryology Developmental Mechanism - Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition. Retrieved from https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Developmental_Mechanism_-_Epithelial_Mesenchymal_Transition
- © Dr Mark Hill 2024, UNSW Embryology ISBN: 978 0 7334 2609 4 - UNSW CRICOS Provider Code No. 00098G