Mammalian Llgl2 Is Necessary for Proper Branching Morphogenesis during Placental Development

• DOI: 10.1128/mcb.05431-11
• Publication Date: 2011-05-24T02:32:21Z
• Authors: Smitha Sripathy; Minhui Lee; Valeri Vasioukhin
• Keywords: Cell polarity; Polarity (international relations)

Cell polarity plays a critical role in the development of all metazoans; however, mechanisms cell and specific pathways mammalian organisms are still poorly understood. Lethal giant larvae (Lgl) is an apical-basal gene identified Drosophila, where it functions as tumor suppressor controlling self-renewal differentiation progenitor cells. There two orthologs Lgl genomes: Llgl1 Llgl2. While Lgls assumed to be genes, little known about their function vivo. Here we report functional analysis murine We generated Llgl2(-/-) mice found that Llgl2 protein required for proper branching morphogenesis during placental development. pups born runts but quickly catch up size grow into normal-size adults. Surprisingly, no prominent phenotypes or spontaneous tumors were observed adult mice. Analyses trophoblasts reveal polarization polarized invasion. conclude invasion efficient development, but, unlike its Drosophila ortholog, does not canonical gene.