Faculty Publications

Adipocyte, Preadipocyte and Mammary Epithelial Cell Interaction

Document Type

Book Chapter

Keywords

Mammary Gland, Mammary Epithelial Cell, Mammary Epithelium, Tissue Culture Plastic, Human Foreskin Fibroblast

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Cellular and Molecular Biology of Mammary Cancer

First Page

129

Last Page

140

Abstract

The development of mammary epithelium and its supporting tissues to form a mammary gland can be used as a paradigm for the analysis of several important questions in cell and developmental biology. Are cell interactions that result in cytodifferentiation and morphogenesis instructive or are they only permissive? Are cytodifferentiation and morphogenesis mutually interdependent processes? What controls cell positioning in a tissue so that morphogenesis can occur? How is hormone sensitivity acquired? And how are cell proliferation and differentiation integrated? We have developed a tissue culture model system of mammary gland differentiation to investigate these and other related questions. Analyses of mammary epithelium interacting with adipocytes in cell culture have led us to propose that cell interactions are required for cell proliferation and acquisition of prolactin sensitivity and that differentiation of mammary epithelium in vitro consists of both cytodifferentiation and morphogenesis, processes that are not necessarily interconnected.

Department

Department of Biology

Original Publication Date

1-1-1987

DOI of published version

10.1007/978-1-4613-0943-7_8

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