Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Walton KD
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3465418 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Walton Katherine D KD Kolterud Asa A Czerwinski Michael J MJ Bell Michael J MJ Prakash Ajay A Kushwaha Juhi J Grosse Ann S AS Schnell Santiago S Gumucio Deborah L DL
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20120910 39
In the adult intestine, an organized array of finger-like projections, called villi, provide an enormous epithelial surface area for absorptive function. Villi first emerge at embryonic day (E) 14.5 from a previously flat luminal surface. Here, we analyze the cell biology of villus formation and examine the role of paracrine epithelial Hedgehog (Hh) signals in this process. We find that, before villus emergence, tight clusters of Hh-responsive mesenchymal cells form just beneath the epithelium. ...[more]