Abstract
The crypts of the intestinal epithelium house the stem cells that ensure the continual renewal of the epithelial cells that line the intestinal tract. Crypt number increases by a process called crypt fission, the division of a single crypt into two daughter crypts. Fission drives normal tissue growth and maintenance. Correspondingly, it becomes less frequent in adulthood. Importantly, fission is reactivated to drive adenoma growth. The mechanisms governing fission are poorly understood. However, only by knowing how normal fission operates can cancer-associated changes be elucidated. We studied normal fission in tissue in three dimensions using high-resolution imaging and used intestinal organoids to identify underlying mechanisms. We discovered that both the number and relative position of Paneth cells and Lgr5+ cells are important for fission. Furthermore, the higher stiffness and increased adhesion of Paneth cells are involved in determining the site of fission. Formation of a cluster of Lgr5+ cells between at least two Paneth cell–rich domains establishes the site for the upward invagination that initiates fission.
Original language | English |
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Article number | e1002491 |
Number of pages | 31 |
Journal | PLoS Biology |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 27 Jun 2016 |
Keywords
- Intestinal Crypts
- Paneth Cells
- Lgr5+ cells
- crypt fission
- cell adhesion
- cell stiffness
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Nathke, Inke
- Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology - Professor of Epithelial Biology
Person: Academic