Description
The airways of the human lung are lined by an epithelium made up of ciliated and secretory luminal cells and undifferentiated p63+ Krt5+ basal cells. The integrity of this epithelium and its ability to act as a selective barrier are critical for normal lung function. In other epithelia there is evidence that transcription factors of the evolutionarily conserved grainyheadlike (GRHL) family play key roles in co-ordinating the expression of numerous proteins required for epithelial morphogenesis, differentiation, remodeling and repair. However, little is known about their function in the adult lung.