Use of transgenic mice to study lung morphogenesis and function

Successful transition to air breathing at birth depends on perinatal maturation of the gas exchange surface, resorption of fluid from the air spaces, and synthesis and secretion of pulmonary surfactant. Genetic mutations that alter lung development and/or cellular differentiation in the prenatal period, lung function in the perinatal period, or lung homeostasis in the postnatal period can lead to neonatal lethality or chronic lung disease. Current knowledge of the molecular pathways that regulate key prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal morphogenetic events has been shaped largely by remarkable advances in transgenic technologies. In this review, selected transgenic mouse models are highlighted to illustrate the power of this technology, which in many cases has provided important insights that otherwise could not have been obtained.