Abstract
The budding of the urogenital sinus epithelium into the surrounding mesenchyme signals the onset of prostate morphogenesis. The epithelial and mesenchymal factors that regulate ductal budding and the ensuing process of ductal growth and branching are not fully known. We provide evidence that bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) is a mesenchymal factor that regulates ductal morphogenesis. The Bmp4 gene was most highly expressed in the male urogenital sinus from embryonic day 14 through birth, a period marked by formation of main prostatic ducts and initiation of ductal branching. From an initial wide distribution throughout the prostatic anlage of the urogenital sinus, Bmp4 expression became progressively restricted to the mesenchyme immediately surrounding the nascent prostatic ducts and branches. Exogenous BMP4 inhibited epithelial cell proliferation and exhibited a dose-dependent inhibition of ductal budding in urogenital sinus tissues cultured in vitro. Adult Bmp4 haploinsufficient mice exhibited an increased number of duct tips in both the ventral prostate and coagulating gland. Taken together, our data indicate that BMP4 is a urogenital sinus mesenchymal factor that restricts prostate ductal budding and branching morphogenesis.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 301-314 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Developmental Biology |
Volume | 232 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 15 2001 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Bone morphogenetic protein 4
- Branching morphogenesis
- Prostate development
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology