The development of air-filled respiratory organs is crucial for survival. We have combined live imaging with genetics to dissect airway maturation. Initially, a secretion burst deposits proteins into the nascent tracheal tubes. Solid material is then rapidly cleared and shortly thereafter liquid is removed from the lumen.
Grainy head (grh), is a phylogenetically conserved transcription factor. In grh mutants, the apical epithelial cell membrane is overgrown resulting in overgrown airway tubes.
