MaGNet: A Network-Based Method for Quantitative Analysis of the Mammary Ductal Tree in Developing Female Mice

Lewis, Steven M, Tellez-Perez, Lucia, Henry, Samantha, Zheng, Xingyu, Navlakha, Saket, Dos Santos, Camila O (September 2025) MaGNet: A Network-Based Method for Quantitative Analysis of the Mammary Ductal Tree in Developing Female Mice. Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia, 30 (1). p. 13. ISSN 1573-7039

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Abstract

The mammary gland is a uniquely dynamic organ with a branching architecture that develops entirely after birth in response to hormonal cues. A common approach in mammary gland biology is the evaluation of branching morphogenesis to characterize the role of developmental, physiological and molecular perturbations on branching tissue invasion, growth, and maintenance. Yet, the field still lacks a fully open-sourced, quantitative framework to analyze whole-mount mammary tissue images, as a commonly utilized methodology. Here, we present MaGNet (Mammary Gland Network analysis tool), a method that leverages network theory to characterize key features of ductal branching during mammary gland development. Applying this pipeline to mammary gland images captured at three pubertal timepoints, we achieved reproducible quantification of ductal tree expansion across development. In addition, this network analysis pipeline captures ductal expansion induced by pregnancy hormones. By providing open-source tools to the research community, this method may increase reproducibility and broad applicability across diverse organ systems, model organisms, and developmental stages.

Item Type: Paper
Subjects: organism description > animal
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > tissues types and functions > mammary gland
organism description > animal > mammal
organism description > animal > mammal > rodent > mouse
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions
organism description > animal > mammal > rodent
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > tissues types and functions
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL Cancer Center Program > Cancer Genetics and Genomics Program
CSHL labs > Dos Santos lab
CSHL labs > Navlakha lab
School of Biological Sciences > Publications
SWORD Depositor: CSHL Elements
Depositing User: CSHL Elements
Date: 26 September 2025
Date Deposited: 26 Sep 2025 18:13
Last Modified: 30 Sep 2025 17:16
PMCID: PMC12474597
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/41970

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