| Abstract | In early lung development, endodermal epithelial tubes (lung buds) intrude into mesodermal mesenchyme covered with pleural cells, and form complex tree-like networks, via repeated use of morphogenetic processes: “elongation”, “terminal bifurcation” and “lateral budding”. When a bud is elongating, a peak concentration of Fgf10 is formed in the mesenchyme near the tip; whilst when a bud is bifurcating, two separate peaks of Fgf10 are formed instead. We develop a mathematical model to explain the spatial pattern of Fgf10 in the mesenchyme. Mesenchymal cells produce Fgf10 in response to SHH from the tip, with the highest concentration for an intermediate level of SHH. Fgf10 distribution has a single peak when the distance between the tip of the bud and the lung border (L) is long, but has two peaks when L is short. We also examine the orientation of two peaks and the condition for lateral budding. |
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