Combinatorial microenvironmental regulation of liver progenitor differentiation by Notch ligands, TGFβ, and extracellular matrix.

ABSTRACT: The bipotential differentiation of liver progenitor cells underlies liver development and bile duct formation as well as liver regeneration and disease. TGFβ and Notch signaling are known to play important roles in the liver progenitor specification process and tissue morphogenesis. However, the complexity of these signaling pathways and their currently undefined interactions with other microenvironmental factors, including extracellular matrix (ECM), remain barriers to complete mechanistic understanding. Utilizing a series of strategies, including co-cultures and cellular microarrays, we identified distinct contributions of different Notch ligands and ECM proteins in the fate decisions of bipotential mouse embryonic liver (BMEL) progenitor cells. In particular, we demonstrated a cooperati

SUBMITTER: Kaylan KB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4812246 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature