通過將活體成像與在活小鼠身上進行的單幹細胞/後代標記相結合。
Valentina Greco及同事發現,位於毛囊幹細胞龕不同腔室中的細胞具有不同的細胞命運。雷射消融顯示,對毛囊發育至關重要的多能隆突幹細胞並不是毛髮再生所必需的,因為上皮細胞能重新佔據丟失的幹細胞腔室。
這些發現表明,一個幹細胞在其延伸的小環境(細胞龕)內的位置控制它的長期命運和行為。
這也許是其他成年幹細胞的調控的一個普遍機制。(生物谷Bioon.com)
生物谷推薦的英文摘要
Nature doi:10.1038/nature12602
Spatial organization within a niche as a determinant of stem-cell fate
Panteleimon Rompolas,Kailin R. Mesa& Valentina Greco
Stem-cell niches in mammalian tissues are often heterogeneous and compartmentalized; however, whether distinct niche locations determine different stem-cell fates remains unclear. To test this hypothesis, here we use the mouse hair follicle niche and combine intravital microscopy with genetic lineage tracing to re-visit the same stem-cell lineages, from their exact place of origin, throughout regeneration in live mice. Using this method, we show directly that the position of a stem cell within the hair follicle niche can predict whether it is likely to remain uncommitted, generate precursors or commit to a differentiated fate. Furthermore, using laser ablation we demonstrate that hair follicle stem cells are dispensable for regeneration, and that epithelial cells, which do not normally participate in hair growth, re-populate the lost stem-cell compartment and sustain hair regeneration. This study provides a general model for niche-induced fate determination in adult tissues.