Connecting the dots to shape growth forces

Kyoto University discovers key signal protein that directs lung curvature in mice

2024-03-28

(Press-News.org) Kyoto, Japan -- Branching patterns are prevalent in our natural environment and the human body, such as in the lungs and kidneys. For example, specific genes that express growth factor proteins are known to influence the development of the lungs' complex branches. Still, until now the mechanics behind this phenomenon have remained a mystery.

Kyoto University researchers have unveiled a regulatory system linking signal, force, and shape in mouse lung structure development. The team recognized that the signal protein ERK plays an active role in causing growing lung tissue to curve.

"ERK signals the cell tissue to stretch outward to smoothen its curve," says Tsuyoshi Hirashima, formerly of KyotoU's Graduate School of Biostudies and now at the National University of Singapore's Mechanobiology Institute.

As if choreographed, a mix of chemical signals triggers the cellular mechanics of the lungs of a mouse embryo, resulting in the development of intricate branching patterns.

Mechanobiology has gained increasing attention in recent years, focusing on cell- and tissue-generated forces, intracellular signaling, and their combined interactions with geometric factors that influence morphogenesis.

"ERK's surprisingly precise signaling response to lung tissue curvature was enlightening. It suggests an elegantly more nuanced developmental orchestration than previously thought," reflects Hirashima.

Utilizing advanced microscopic imaging techniques, Hirashima's team observed how ERK behaves in developing lungs in real time by combining a fluorescent biosensor -- for quantifying the ERK activity in living cells -- with two-photon microscopy, which captures tissue cell and molecular activities in 3D.

Results showed that ERK mediates curvature sensing and force generation in epithelial cells, causing a negative feedback loop and a repetitive branching pattern.

"We are particularly interested in exploring how disruptions in this signal-force-shape system might contribute to physiological abnormalities or diseases," says Hirashima.

These ideas may apply to the developmental processes of other organs and the formation of mouse lungs, a realization that calls for further exploration of fundamental principles.

"Ultimately, our findings offer a deeper understanding of the novel principles of biological regulatory systems, with promising applications in regenerative medicine and organoid research," concludes Hirashima.

###

The paper "ERK-mediated Curvature Feedback Regulates Branching Morphogenesis in Lung Epithelial Tissue" appeared on 15 January 2024 in Current Biology, with doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.049

About Kyoto University
Kyoto University is one of Japan and Asia's premier research institutions, founded in 1897 and responsible for producing numerous Nobel laureates and winners of other prestigious international prizes. A broad curriculum across the arts and sciences at undergraduate and graduate levels complements several research centers, facilities, and offices around Japan and the world. For more information, please see: http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en

END

[Attachments] See images for this press release:

Connecting the dots to shape growth forces 2

Connecting the dots to shape growth forces 3

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Parental avoidance of toxic exposures could help prevent autism, ADHD in children, new study shows

2024-03-28

SAN ANTONIO, March 27, 2024 – Autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be preventable if parents avoid toxic exposures and adopt interventions such as environmental house calls, according to a published study led by researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio). Using a validated, self-administered questionnaire now used worldwide to identify individuals with chemical intolerance – the Quick Environmental ...

Trends in the incidence of renal replacement therapy due to rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis in Japan, 2006–2021

2024-03-28

Niigata, Japan - A new Japanese nationwide study revealed that from 2006 to 2021, the number of patients with incident renal RRT due to RPGN increased, with an increase in the age-specific incidence of RRT due to RPGN in the older age groups (≥70 years old). Given the increasing trend in the incidence of RRT in older age groups and the ongoing population aging in Japan, the number of patients with incident RRT due to RPGN is likely to continue to increase in the future. "RPGN is clinical syndrome that causes a rapid loss of kidney function, usually within a few days to a ...

Olympics not likely to swallow up skateboarding’s subversive nature into its corporate spectacle, study says

2024-03-28

The subversive nature of skateboarding is not likely to be affected by its continuing place in the corporate world of the Olympics, experts have predicted. The inclusion of the street sport – which happened for the first time in Tokyo 2020 – could help to promote pacifism and egalitarianism and help to combat sexism, homophobia and racism, research suggests. Some had suggested the subversive sport and its links to rebellion, pools, ramps, and skateparks, as well as less typical type of competition, would not fit easily into a world ...

Looking after the NHS workforce must be a top priority, say experts

2024-03-28

Looking after the NHS workforce is not only an ethical imperative but also a sound investment and must be a top priority, say experts in the third report of The BMJ Commission on the Future of the NHS. From improving basic working conditions to planning for the impact of AI, the authors set out a bold vision to enhance the stewardship of the NHS workforce. In the most recent (2023) NHS Staff Survey only a quarter (26.4%) of respondents said there were enough staff at their organisation for them to do their job properly, just over a quarter (25.6%) are satisfied with their pay, and only 42% say they are satisfied with the extent to which their organisations ...

Prolonged use of certain hormone drugs linked to increased brain tumor risk

2024-03-28

Prolonged use of certain progestogen hormone drugs is associated with an increased risk of developing a type of brain tumour known as an intracranial meningioma, finds a study from France published by The BMJ today. The researchers say this study is the first to assess the risk associated with progestogens used by millions of women worldwide, and further studies are urgently needed to gain a better understanding of this risk. Progestogens are similar to the natural hormone progesterone, which are widely used for gynaecological conditions such ...

Delirium a ‘strong risk factor’ for dementia among older people

2024-03-28

Delirium is a strong risk factor for dementia and death among older people, finds the largest study of its kind published by The BMJ today. The findings show that, among hospital patients with at least one episode of delirium, the risk of receiving a new dementia diagnosis was three times higher than for patients without delirium and each additional episode of delirium increased that risk by 20%. The researchers say their findings support the theory that delirium has a strong independent effect on dementia risk in this clinical population. Delirium is a sudden change in a person’s usual mental state. Symptoms include agitation, confusion or being unable to stay ...

People experiencing homelessness more likely to develop dementia at younger ages, study finds

2024-03-28

London, ON, March 27, 2024 – Dementia in unhoused people was 1.9 times greater than the general population, with a higher prevalence for age groups younger than 85 years, according to new research from Lawson Health Research Institute and ICES. In one of the first population-based studies of its kind and published in The Lancet Public Health, researchers compared dementia prevalence in people experiencing homeless with the general population and people living in low-income neighbourhoods in Ontario, Canada. “Not only did we find that dementia was more common among unhoused individuals, but the difference was greatest between the ages of 55 to ...

Can metalens be commercialized at a fraction of the cost?

$Can metalens be commercialized at a fraction of the cost?$

2024-03-28

Metalenses, nano-artificial structures capable of manipulating light, offer a technology that can significantly reduce the size and thickness of traditional optical components. Particularly effective in the near-infrared region, this technology holds great promise for various applications such as LiDAR which is called the ‘eyes of the self-driving car’, miniature drones, and blood vessel detectors. Despite its potential, the current technology requires tens of millions of won even for fabricating a ...

Reclaim ‘wellness’ from the rich and famous, and restore its political radicalism, new book argues

2024-03-28

A new cultural history of the 1970s wellness industry offers urgent lessons for today. It reveals that in the seventies, wellness was neither narcissistic nor self-indulgent, and nor did its practice involve buying expensive, on-trend luxury products. Instead, wellness emphasised social well-being just as much as it focused on the needs of the individual. Wellness practitioners thought of self-care as a way of empowering people to prioritise their health so that they could also enhance the well-being of those around them. Today’s wellness industry generates trillions of dollars in revenue, ...

Curtin research unlocks supernova stardust secrets

2024-03-28

Curtin University-led research has discovered a rare dust particle trapped in an ancient extra-terrestrial meteorite that was formed by a star other than our sun. The discovery was made by lead author Dr Nicole Nevill and colleagues during her PhD studies at Curtin, now working at the Lunar and Planetary Science Institute in collaboration with NASA’s Johnson Space Centre. Meteorites are mostly made up of material that formed in our solar system and can also contain tiny particles which originate from stars born long before our sun. Clues that these particles, known as presolar grains, are relics from other stars ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Personalised “cocktails” of antibiotics, probiotics and prebiotics hold great promise in treating a common form of irritable bowel syndrome, pilot study finds

Mobile device location data is already used by private companies, so why not for studying human-wildlife interactions, scientists ask

Test reveals mice think like babies

[Press-News.org] Connecting the dots to shape growth forces
Kyoto University discovers key signal protein that directs lung curvature in mice