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Developing ovine mammary terminal duct lobular units have a dynamic mucosal and stromal immune microenvironment

Dorottya Nagy, Clare M. C. Gillis, Katie Davies, Abigail L. Fowden, Paul Rees Orcid Logo, John W. Wills, Katherine Hughes

Communications Biology, Volume: 4, Issue: 1

Swansea University Author: Paul Rees Orcid Logo

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Abstract

The human breast and ovine mammary gland undergo striking levels of postnatal development, leading to formation of terminal duct lobular units (TDLUs). Here we interrogate aspects of sheep TDLU growth as a model of breast development and to increase understanding of ovine mammogenesis. The distribut...

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Published in: Communications Biology
ISSN: 2399-3642
Published: Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2021
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57721
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Abstract: The human breast and ovine mammary gland undergo striking levels of postnatal development, leading to formation of terminal duct lobular units (TDLUs). Here we interrogate aspects of sheep TDLU growth as a model of breast development and to increase understanding of ovine mammogenesis. The distributions of epithelial nuclear Ki67 positivity differ significantly between younger and older lambs. Ki67 expression is polarised to the leading edge of the developing TDLUs. Intraepithelial ductal macrophages exhibit periodicity and considerably increased density in lambs approaching puberty. Stromal macrophages are more abundant centrally than peripherally. Intraepithelial T lymphocytes are more numerous in older lambs. Stromal hotspots of Ki67 expression colocalize with immune cell aggregates that exhibit distinct organisation consistent with tertiary lymphoid structures. The lamb mammary gland thus exhibits a dynamic mucosal and stromal immune microenvironment and constitutes a valuable model system that provides new insights into postnatal breast development.
Keywords: Developmental biology, Image processing, Innate immunity, Lymphoid tissues,Machine learning
College: Faculty of Science and Engineering
Funders: This work was supported by a grant from the British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation Norman Hayward Fund awarded to KH [grant number NHF_2016_03_KH]. JWW is grateful to Girton College and the University of Cambridge Herchel-Smith Fund for supporting him with Fellowships. The authors would like to acknowledge the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (grant EP/N013506/1), and the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (grant number BB/P026818/1), both awarded to PR, for supporting the work.
Issue: 1