Hippo signaling differentially regulates distal progenitor subpopulations and their transitional states to construct the mammalian lungs (opens in new tab)

Lung size control and cell type specification are key unresolved issues. In this study, we have engineered mosaic patterns of Hippo signaling to reveal the developmental potential of SOX9+ progenitors at the distal lung buds. Our results show that the distal SOX9+ subdomain is sufficient to direct lung outgrowth through bifurcation, providing a mechanism for lung size control. Through single-cell analyses, we identify transitional cell states and candidates for promoting cell fates. Moreover,...