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Science 329 (5999): 1610-1611

Copyright © 2010 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Developmental Biology

Branching Takes Nerve

Jason R. Rock, and Brigid L. M. Hogan

Nerves control salivary gland function, a connection that traces back over 100 years to the classic experiments of Ivan Pavlov, who conditioned dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell. On page 1645 in this issue, Knox et al. report that the effect of nerves on these glands occurs much earlier than expected (1). Local nerves make intimate contact with the submandibular glands—the major source of saliva in mammals—as soon they begin to develop in the embryo, and influence how the organ grows and branches. Their finding may suggest new ways to regenerate salivary glands in cancer patients exposed to head and neck irradiation, and may also be relevant to the growth and regeneration of other organ systems.

Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.

E-mail: b.hogan{at}cellbio.duke.edu

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Transcription Factors Runx1 to 3 Are Expressed in the Lacrimal Gland Epithelium and Are Involved in Regulation of Gland Morphogenesis and Regeneration.
D. Voronov, A. Gromova, D. Liu, D. Zoukhri, A. Medvinsky, R. Meech, and H. P. Makarenkova (2013)
Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 54, 3115-3125
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