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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #281830
Title: Comparative aspects of mammary gland development and homeostasis

Author
item Capuco, Anthony
item ELLIS, STEVEN - Clemson University

Submitted to: Annual Review of Animal and Veterinary Biosciences
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/22/2012
Publication Date: 8/13/2012
Citation: Capuco, A.V., Ellis, S.E. 2012. Comparative aspects of mammary gland development and homeostasis. Annual Review of Animal and Veterinary Biosciences. 1:179-202.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Mammary glands are crucial to the reproductive strategy of mammals and the milk of domesticated ruminants serves as an important source of nutrients for the human population. The majority of mammary gland development occurs postnatally and the mammary gland undergoes cyclical periods of growth, differentiation, lactation and regression that are coordinated to provide nutrients for offspring, or are driven by strategies to manage reproduction and milk production of domesticated species. Growth and maintenance of the mammary epithelium depends on the function of mammary stem cells (MaSC) and progenitor cells. In this review we provide an overview of postnatal mammary gland development, cyclical phases of mammary gland regression (regression during lactation and between successive lactations), and an overview of mammary stem cells and progenitor cells. Where possible, these processes are related to animal production and compared across species, particularly bovine, porcine, murine and human.