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Abnormal lung development and cleft palate in mice lacking TGF–β3 indicates defects of epithelial–mesenchymal interaction

Nature Genetics volume 11, pages 415–421 (1995)Cite this article

Abstract

A broad spectrum of biological activities has been proposed for transforming growth factor–β3(TGF–β 3). To study TGF–β3function in development, TGF–β3 null mutant mice were generated by gene–targeting. Within 20 hours of birth, homozygous TGF–β3−/− mice die with unique and consistent phenotypic features including delayed pulmonary development and defective palatogenesis. Unlike other null mutants with cleft palate, TGF–β3−/− mice lack other concomitant craniofacial abnormalities. This study demonstrates an essential function for TGF–β3 in the normal morphogenesis of palate and lung, and directly implicates this cytokine in mechanisms of epithelial–mesenchymal interaction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles Research Institute, 4650 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, 90027, USA

    Vesa Kaartinen, Jan Willem Voncken, Nora Heisterkamp & John Groffen

  2. Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 90033, USA

    Charles Shuler, David Warburton & Ding Bu

  3. Departments of Surgery and Pediatrics, Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles Research Institute, 4650 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, 90027, USA

    David Warburton

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  1. Vesa Kaartinen
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Kaartinen, V., Voncken, J., Shuler, C. et al. Abnormal lung development and cleft palate in mice lacking TGF–β3 indicates defects of epithelial–mesenchymal interaction. Nat Genet 11, 415–421 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1295-415

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