Impact of cell micro-environment and cell history on the propensity of cells to undergo EMT

Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is a process during which epithelial cells (cells that line the surfaces and cavities of our body's organs) become mesenychymal cells (cells that form body's connective tissue) and gain ability to migrate. EMTs are essential for normal development, allowing rearrangement of cells within growing foetus. EMTs are also important for wound healing and it has been suggested that they can contribute to many pathological processes like fibrosis or cancer. Not all of the cells from original epithelium transform to mesenchymal cells during EMT. Very little is known about what signals make only some of the epithelial cells undergo transformation. This grant proposal aims to determine how the first EMT in mammalian development is controlled. We will examine whether position of the cell within the embryo, cell history and/or cell cycle length may influence ability of epithelial cells to undergo EMT.