Role of β-catenin in development of bile ducts

Beta-catenin is known to play stage- and cell-specific functions during liver development. However, its role in development of bile ducts has not yet been addressed. Here we used stage-specific in vivo gain- and loss-of-function approaches, as well as lineage tracing experiments in the mouse, to first demonstrate that β-catenin is dispensable for differentiation of liver precursor cells (hepatoblasts) to cholangiocyte precursors. Second, when β-catenin was depleted in the latter, maturation of cholangiocytes, bile duct morphogenesis and differentiation of periportal hepatocytes from cholangiocyte precursors was normal. In contrast, stabilization of β-catenin in cholangiocyte precursors perturbed duct development and cholangiocyte differentiation. We conclude that β-catenin is dispensable for biliary development but that its activity must be kept within tight limits. Our work is expected to significantly impact on in vitro differentiation of stem cells to cholangiocytes for toxicology studies and disease modeling.