Altered Epithelial-mesenchymal Plasticity as a Result of Ovol2 Deletion Minimally Impacts the Self-renewal of Adult Mammary Basal Epithelial Cells.

ABSTRACT: Stem-cell containing mammary basal epithelial cells exist in a quasi-mesenchymal transcriptional state characterized by simultaneous expression of typical epithelial genes and typical mesenchymal genes. Whether robust maintenance of such a transcriptional state is required for adult basal stem cells to fuel self-renewal and regeneration remains unclear. In this work, we utilized SMA-CreER to direct efficient basal cell-specific deletion of Ovol2, which encodes a transcription factor that inhibits epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), in adult mammary gland. We identified a basal cell-intrinsic role of Ovol2 in promoting epithelial, and suppressing mesenchymal, molecular traits. Interestingly, Ovol2-deficient basal cells display minimal perturbations in their ability to support tissue

SUBMITTER: Sun P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8858298 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature