Mesenchymal-epithelial crosstalk shapes intestinal regionalisation via Wnt and Shh signalling.

ABSTRACT: Organs are anatomically compartmentalised to cater for specialised functions. In the small intestine (SI), regionalisation enables sequential processing of food and nutrient absorption. While several studies indicate the critical importance of non-epithelial cells during development and homeostasis, the extent to which these cells contribute to regionalisation during morphogenesis remains unexplored. Here, we identify a mesenchymal-epithelial crosstalk that shapes the developing SI during late morphogenesis. We find that subepithelial mesenchymal cells are characterised by gradients of factors supporting Wnt signalling and stimulate epithelial growth in vitro. Such a gradient impacts epithelial gene expression and regional villus formation along the anterior-posterior axis of the SI. Notab

SUBMITTER: Maimets M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8821716 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature