Science刊載美國哥倫比亞大學(xué)醫(yī)學(xué)中心科學(xué)家一項(xiàng)最新研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，祖細(xì)胞可以分化產(chǎn)生子代細(xì)胞包圍在其周圍維持其干細(xì)胞特性,。
成體中腸祖細(xì)胞（adult midgut progenitor）是形成腸細(xì)胞的一種前體細(xì)胞,，研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)果蠅成體中腸祖細(xì)胞可向其分化出來的子細(xì)胞發(fā)送Notch信號(hào)蛋白,，使子細(xì)胞包圍在其周圍。在果蠅發(fā)育早期階段,，這些周邊細(xì)胞會(huì)保護(hù)祖細(xì)胞,，使其不會(huì)分化成終端細(xì)胞。果蠅逐漸發(fā)育成成熟個(gè)體時(shí),，這些細(xì)胞會(huì)逐漸分化成腸細(xì)胞,，少數(shù)細(xì)胞仍然保持干細(xì)胞特性以維持正常體細(xì)胞更新。
這項(xiàng)研究可幫助科學(xué)家探明在組織器官發(fā)育過程中干細(xì)胞是如何保持其干細(xì)胞特性,，并可根據(jù)此機(jī)理研制藥物用于打擊癌癥干細(xì)胞治療癌癥,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Science 8 January 2010: DOI: 10.1126/science.1181958
A Transient Niche Regulates the Specification of Drosophila Intestinal Stem Cells
Divya Mathur,1 Alyssa Bost,1 Ian Driver,2 Benjamin Ohlstein1,*
Stem cell niches are locations where stem cells reside and self-renew. Although studies have shown how niches maintain stem cell fate during tissue homeostasis, less is known about their roles in establishing stem cells. The adult Drosophila midgut is maintained by intestinal stem cells (ISCs); however, how they are established is unknown. Here, we show that an ISC progenitor generates a niche cell via Notch signaling. This niche uses the bone morphogenetic protein 2/4 homolog, decapentaplegic, to allow progenitors to divide in an undifferentiated state and subsequently breaks down and dies, resulting in the specification of ISCs in the adult midgut. Our results demonstrate a paradigm for stem cell–niche biology, where progenitors generate transient niches that determine stem cell fate and may give insights into stem cell specification in other tissues.
1 Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
2 The Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular, Structural and Genetic Studies, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
