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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Aug 1.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2013 Jul 9;23(4):408–414. doi: 10.1016/j.gde.2013.05.005

Figure 3. Differential regional accumulation of ECM proteins stabilizes tissue structure during branching morphogenesis.

Figure 3

ECM is deposited heterogeneously in the basement membrane and stroma surrounding epithelial branched organs. This produces regional force anisotropies that either stabilize or guide the direction of epithelial tissue expansion. For example, thick accumulations of basement membrane (heavy green lines) are present around bud flanks and ducts, and in cleft regions. In contrast, ECM is thinner at end bud tips where epithelia expand (thin green lines).