@article{cc75f325ca4a49f081d773ebf4286afb,
title = "Essential role for a novel population of binucleated mammary epithelial cells in lactation",
abstract = "The mammary gland represents a unique tissue to study organogenesis as it predominantly develops in the post-natal animal and undergoes dramatic morphogenetic changes during puberty and the reproductive cycle. The physiological function of the mammary gland is to produce milk to sustain the newborn. Here we view the lactating gland through three-dimensional confocal imaging of intact tissue. We observed that the majority of secretory alveolar cells are binucleated. These cells first arise in very late pregnancy due to failure of cytokinesis and are larger than mononucleated cells. Augmented expression of Aurora kinase-A and Polo-like kinase-1 at the lactogenic switch likely mediates the formation of binucleated cells. Our findings demonstrate an important physiological role for polyploid mammary epithelial cells in lactation, and based on their presence in five different species, suggest that binucleated cells evolved to maximize milk production and promote the survival of offspring across all mammalian species.",
author = "Rios, {Anne C.} and Fu, {Nai Yang} and Jamieson, {Paul R.} and Bhupinder Pal and Lachlan Whitehead and Nicholas, {Kevin R.} and Lindeman, {Geoffrey J.} and Visvader, {Jane E.}",
note = "Funding Information: We are very grateful to J. Petersen and C. Ormandy for discussions, F. Jackling, M. Le Page, J. Szarlat, K. Liu, J. Sharp, F. Vaillant and A.T.L. Lun for expert assistance and the Animal, FACS, Imaging and Histology facilities at WEHI and to the Victorian Cancer Biobank (supported by the Victorian State Government), which provided coded breast tissue. This work was supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants #1016701, #1085191 and #1086727; NHMRC IRIISS; the Victorian State Government through Victorian Cancer Agency funding and Operational Infrastructure Support; and the Australian Cancer Research Foundation. A.C.R. and N.Y.F. were supported by a National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF)/Cure Cancer Australia Fellowship; G.J.L. by a NHMRC Fellowship #1078730 and J.E.V. by an Australia Fellowship #1037230.",
year = "2016",
month = apr,
day = "22",
doi = "10.1038/ncomms11400",
language = "English",
volume = "7",
journal = "Nature Communications",
issn = "2041-1723",
publisher = "Nature Research",
}