Epithelial tubule tip packing increases at the kidney surface over developmental time

New study at the University of Pennsylvania led by Alex Hughes, PhD shows that the physiological functions of several organs rely on branched epithelial tubule networks bearing specialized structures for secretion, gas exchange, or filtration. He adds, “Little is known about conflicts in development between building enough tubules for adequate function and geometric constraints imposed by organ size. We show that the mouse embryonic kidney epithelium negotiates a physical packing conflict between increasing tubule tip numbers through branching and limited organ surface area.”