Polarity in Mammalian Epithelial Morphogenesis

Abstract

Cell polarity is fundamental for the architecture and function of epithelial tissues. Epithelial polarization requires the intervention of several fundamental cell processes, whose integration in space and time is only starting to be elucidated. To understand what governs the building of epithelial tissues during development, it is essential to consider the polarization process in the context of the whole tissue. To this end, the development of three-dimensional organotypic cell culture models has brought new insights into the mechanisms underlying the establishment and maintenance of higher-order epithelial tissue architecture, and in the dynamic remodeling of cell polarity that often occurs during development of epithelial organs. Here we discuss some important aspects of mammalian epithelial morphogenesis, from the establishment of cell polarity to epithelial tissue generation.