Plasticity of Hopx+ type I alveolar cells to regenerate type II cells in the lung

• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7727
• Publication Date: 2015-04-13T10:24:24Z
• Authors: Rajan Jain; Christina E. Bark...; Norifumi Takeda; Emily J. Bowie; Haig Aghajanian; Qiaohong Wang; Arun Padmanabhan; Lauren J. Manderf...; Mudit Gupta; Deqiang Li; Li Li; Chinmay M. Trivedi; Brigid L. M. Hogan; Jonathan A. Epstein
• Keywords: Cell type; Alveolar cells; Surfactant protein C

The plasticity of differentiated cells in adult tissues undergoing repair is an area intense research. Pulmonary alveolar type II produce surfactant and function as progenitors the adult, demonstrating both self-renewal differentiation into gas exchanging I cells. In vivo, are thought to be terminally their ability give rise alternate lineages has not been reported. Here we show that Hopx becomes restricted during development. However, unexpectedly, lineage-labelled Hopx+ proliferate generate regrowth following partial pneumonectomy. clonal 3D culture, single organoids composed cells, a process modulated by TGFβ signalling. These findings demonstrate unanticipated bidirectional lineage relationship between distinct epithelial cell types vivo single-cell culture. Alveoli lung's functional units two major types, II. Type lung stem but this study shows can also self-renew revealing types.