Mesothelial-mesenchymal transitions in embryogenesis

• Published in: Seminars in cell & developmental biology Vol. 92; pp. 37 - 44
• Main Authors: Carmona, Rita, Ariza, Laura, Cano, Elena, Jiménez-Navarro, Manuel, Muñoz-Chápuli, Ramón
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2019
• Subjects: Animals; Coelomic epithelium; Embryonic Development; Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; Epithelium - embryology; Humans; Mesothelium; Organogenesis; Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; Mesothelium; Coelomic epithelium; Organogenesis
• ISSN: 1084-9521; 1096-3634
• DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2018.09.006

•The embryonic mesothelium has the capacity to respond to local molecular signals and generate populations of mesenchymal cells.•Mesothelium-derived mesenchymal cells produce essential signals for visceral morphogenesis.•They also contribute to vascular and connective tissue of many organs and they can differentiate into organ-specific cell types.•Adult mesothelial cells can recapitulate this embryonic process and transform into mesenchymal fibroblast-like cells.•This adult process of mesothelial transformation might be of translational relevance. Most animals develop coelomic cavities lined by an epithelial cell layer called the mesothelium. Embryonic mesothelial cells have the ability to transform into mesenchymal cells which populate many developing organs contributing to their connective and vascular tissues, and also to organ-specific cell types. Furthermore, embryonic mesothelium and mesothelial-derived cells produce essential signals for visceral morphogenesis. We review the most relevant literature about the mechanisms regulating the embryonic mesothelial-mesenchymal transition, the developmental fate of the mesothelial-derived cells and other functions of the embryonic mesothelium, such as its contribution to the establishment of left-right visceral asymmetries or its role in limb morphogenesis.