- Cazares, Oscar;
- Chen, Min;
- Menendez, Julien;
- Molinuevo, Rut;
- Thomas, Gwen;
- Cervantes, Jocelyn;
- Yee, Michael;
- Cadell, Michael;
- Durham, Megan;
- Zhu, Yaqi;
- Strietzel, Catherine;
- Bubolz, Jacob W;
- Hinck, Lindsay
SLITs comprise a family of secreted proteins that function as ligands for Roundabout (ROBO) receptors. Previous research showed that ROBO1 promotes the differentiation of milk-producing alveolar cells by inhibiting Notch signaling in mammary luminal cells. Here, we show enhanced alveolar development and increased milk production in Slit2-/-;Slit3-/- knockout mammary gland epithelia. This result can also be achieved by intraperitoneal delivery of recombinant ROBO1 extracellular domain fragment, ROBO1-5Ig-Fc, which sequesters SLITs. Together, our phenotypic studies suggest that SLITs restrict alveologenesis and lactogenesis by inhibiting ROBO1.