Cellular Interactions in Mammary Gland Development

正常的乳腺发育需要构成乳腺的细胞之间的相互作用。众所周知，这些相互作用涉及不同类型的连接，包括缝隙连接、附着连接和紧密连接。大多数连接组分，称为连接蛋白，已经被鉴定出来。然而，控制复合体中连接蛋白的排列和功能的机制却知之甚少。这项研究计划的主要目标是确定这些机制。为此，我们将在实验室中使用不同的模型来模拟乳腺结构。我们可以使用不同的化合物修改这些模型中细胞之间的相互作用，并确定对乳腺发育的影响。了解细胞相互作用所涉及的机制是至关重要的，因为细胞相互作用的放松可能导致乳腺发育异常。由于大多数乳腺发育发生在青春期，细胞间的相互作用可能至少部分由激素控制。一些环境污染物类似于荷尔蒙，可以模仿它们的行为。这些污染物被称为内分泌干扰物。我们的第二个目标是确定暴露于内分泌干扰物是否可以调节细胞相互作用的建立和功能，从而促进腺体的异常发育。人们对环境中某些化学物质对细胞生长和分化的影响越来越感兴趣和担忧。提供与接触化学品有关的乳腺发育风险的书面答案是至关重要的。

Normal mammary gland development requires interactions between the cells that form the gland. It is well known that different types of junctions are involved in these interactions, including gap, adherens and tight junctions. Most junctions components, named junctional proteins, have been identified. However, the mechanisms controlling the arrangement and function of the junctional proteins in the complexes are poorly understood. The main objective of this research program is to identify those mechanisms. To do so, we will use different models to mimic the mammary gland structure in the laboratory. We can modify the interactions between the cells in these models using various compounds and determine the effects on mammary gland development. Understanding the mechanisms implicated in cell interactions is crucial because their deregulation could lead to abnormal mammary gland development. Because the majority of mammary gland development occurs at puberty, cell interactions may be controlled, at least in part, by hormones. Some environmental pollutants are similar to hormones and can mimic their actions. These pollutants are called endocrine disruptors. Our second objective is to determine whether an exposure to endocrine disruptors can modulate the establishment and function of cellular interactions, thereby promoting abnormal development of the gland. There is growing interest and concern about the effects of certain chemicals in the environment on cell growth and differentiation. It is paramount to provide documented answers about the risks associated with exposure to chemicals for mammary gland development.