EMT Concept and Examples from the Vertebrate Embryo -- Epithelium-Mesenchyme Transitions Are Crucial Morphogenetic Events Occurring during Early Development -- The Neural Crest -- Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transformation in the Embryonic Heart -- Epithelial-Extracellular Matrix (Cell-ECM) Interactions in Hydra -- Regulation of the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Sea Urchin Embryos -- Change of Epithelial Fate -- Cutaneous Wound Reepithelialization -- Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transitions in Human Cancer -- Structural and Functional Regulation of Desmosomes -- Epithelial Cell Plasticity by Dynamic Transcriptional Regulation of E-Cadherin -- The Regulation of Catenins in Cancer -- Hepatocyte Growth Factor Regulates Transitions between Epithelial and Mesenchymal Cellular Phenotypes during Normal Development and in Disease -- The Role of Insulin-Like Growth Factors in the Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition -- TGF?-Dependent Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition -- The Ras and Src Signaling Cascades Involved in Epithelial Cell Scattering -- Regulation of E-Cadherin-Mediated Cell-Cell Adhesion by Rho Family GTPases -- Wnt Signaling Networks and Embryonic Patterning -- Cadherin-Mediated Cell-Cell Adhesion and the Microtubule Network -- Matrix Metalloproteases and Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition.

Epithelial phenotype is a dynamic stage of differentiation that can be modulated during several physiological or pathological events. The rapid conversion to a mesenchymal-like phenotype is called an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The Rise and Fall of Epithelial Phenotype is the first book to comprehensively introduce the concept of EMT. The first part of this volume describes main examples and models and explains their physiological relevance. These examples include hydra morphogenesis, gastrulation in mouse, drosophila and sea urchin, as well as neural crest cell migration and heart morphogenesis in vertebrates. Part two reviews in detail, specific EMT molecular pathways covering extracellular induction, transduction and transcription response and modulation of cell-cell adhesion structures. It emphasizes new specific pathways with potential medical applications. EMTs can also be linked to pathological events such as wound healing and cancer progression, as detailed in this section of the book.