Chongshen Xu

1 Introduction Despite being a major event during metazoan evolution, the genetic basis of vertebrate emergence has remained poorly understood.[1, 2] One way to better understand the process is to focus on vertebrate-specific genes (VSGs), accounting for ≈20% of the vertebrate genome.[3] Of the VSGs, the tight junctions (TJ) component Occludin (Ocln) could be an ideal candidate to study because it is essential for the physiological function of a multitude of vertebrate organs.[4, 5] Moreover,...

Highlights • Lgl1 promotes mammary gland branching morphogenesis • Lgl1 is required for collective migration but not epithelial polarity • LGL1 binds to Integrin β1 and inhibits its downstream signaling • Branching mechanisms are distinct between mammary gland and invertebrate epithelia Summary Branching morphogenesis is a fundamental process by which organs in invertebrates and vertebrates form branches to expand their surface areas.

Loading metrics Open Access Peer-reviewed Research Article Yunzhe Lu , Tao Zhou , Chongshen Xu , Rui Wang, Deyi Feng, Jiyong Li, Xu Wang, Yu Kong, Guohong Hu, Xiangyin Kong, Pengfei Lu Yunzhe Lu, Tao Zhou, Chongshen Xu, Rui Wang, Deyi Feng, Jiyong Li, Xu Wang, Yu Kong, Guohong Hu, Xiangyin Kong Published: January 18, 2022 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001518 ? This is an uncorrected proof.