ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Epithelial morphogenesis during embryonic development is driven by interactions between epithelium and the adjacent mesenchyme (Grobstein 1967). In the past 10 years major advances have been made in the clarification of the molecular basis of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. They are controlled by paracrine interactions between growth factors and their receptors, direct cell-cell interactions, and by interactions between extracellular matrix and its receptors. For all these three interactions, several crucial molecules have been identified. Here we will describe the expression and possible role of some of the major extracellular matrix proteins involved in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions.
