Reversible Transdifferentiation of Secretory Epithelial Cells into Adipocytes in the Mammary Gland

Mammalian breast adipose tissue is replaced by a milk-secreting gland during pregnancy; the reverse process takes place upon interruption of lactation. Morphological and bromodeoxyuridine studies provide indirect evidence that mouse mammary adipocytes transform into secretory epithelial cells during...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2004-11, Vol.101 (48), p.16801-16806
Main Authors: Morroni, Manrico, Giordano, Antonio, Zingaretti, Maria Cristina, Boiani, Romina, de Matteis, Rita, Kahn, Barbara B., Nisoli, Enzo, Tonello, Cristina, Pisoschi, Catalina, Luchetti, Michele M., Marelli, Mariella, Cinti, Saverio, Hay, Elizabeth D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adipocytes
Adipocytes - cytology
Adipocytes - ultrastructure
Animals
Base Sequence
Biological Sciences
Breastfeeding & lactation
Breasts
Cell Differentiation
Cellular biology
DNA Primers
Electron microscopy
Epithelial cells
Epithelial Cells - cytology
Female
Genes, Reporter
Immunohistochemistry
Lactation
Lipids
Mammary glands
Mammary Glands, Animal - cytology
Mammary Glands, Animal - ultrastructure
Mice
Mice, Transgenic
Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
Pregnancy
Pulmonary alveoli
Tissues
White adipocytes
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Summary:Mammalian breast adipose tissue is replaced by a milk-secreting gland during pregnancy; the reverse process takes place upon interruption of lactation. Morphological and bromodeoxyuridine studies provide indirect evidence that mouse mammary adipocytes transform into secretory epithelial cells during pregnancy and revert to adipocytes after lactation. By using the Cre-loxP recombination system we show that the mammary gland of whey acidic protein (WAP)-Cre/R26R mice, in which secretory epithelial cells express the lacZ gene during pregnancy, contains labeled adipocytes during involution. Conversely, adipocyte P2-Cre/R26R mice, in which adipocytes are labeled before pregnancy, contain labeled secretory epithelial cells during pregnancy. We conclude that reversible adipocyte-to-epithelium and epithelium-to-adipocyte transdifferentiation occurs in the mammary gland of adult mice during pregnancy and lactation.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.0407647101