Glycosaminoglycans in the basal lamina and extracellular matrix of the developing mouse mammary duct☆

[摘要] Mammaryductalelongationinthesubadultvirginmousetakesplaceastheenlargedepithelialtip,or“endbud,”growsintothesurroundingfattystroma.Bymeansofhistochemicalandautoradiographictechniquesusedinconjunctionwithenzymesusceptibilitystudies,wedemonstratedthatthebasallamina(BL)attheendbudtipisrichinhyaluronate,whichisproducedbyadistinctoutermostlayerofepithelium,the“capcells.”Theposteriorregionsoftheendbudareassociatedwithductalmorphogenesisandtissuestabilization,andhereboththeepitheliaandthestromaaresitesofintensesulfatedglycosaminoglycan(S-GAG)synthesis.SynthesisofS-GAGswasalsofoundtoextendbeyondtheregionofcollagenfibrillogenesis,andintotheconnectivetissuebetweentheadvancingducts,leadingustospeculatethattheseS-GAGsplayaroleintheestablishmentofinterductalspacing.

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）