From, NNF Center for Stem Cell Biology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Will give a seminar entitled:

Mechanisms of Liver Development and Regeneration

Abstract:

The many essential functions of the liver are mediated by its characteristic tissue architecture. Hepatocytes exhibit a distinct apico-basal polarity, aligning with their basal side along blood vessels, while canaliculi form apically and connect hepatocytes to the terminal branches of the biliary network. It is poorly understood how liver progenitors self-organize in vivo to establish the functional 3D tissue organization during development and how it is reestablished following injury. We combine 4D-live cell imaging in zebrafish with genetic, biophysics and quantitative imaging approaches to capture the cell behaviors and tissue interactions driving these processes at cellular resolution. During development, we find that differentiating hepatocytes are surprisingly dynamic and undergo a sequence of distinct cellular events essential for the establishment of a functional hepato-biliary ductal network. Our analyses also reveal novel modes of cell-cell communication between different hepatic cell types employing specialized cell protrusions, including an unexpected instructive function for endothelial cells.