scholarly journals Stem cells and physical energies: can we really drive stem cell fate?

2019 ◽  
pp. S375-S384 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Cruciani ◽  
G. Garroni ◽  
C. Ventura ◽  
A. Danani ◽  
A. Nečas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Cell Polarity ◽  
Adult Stem Cells ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Cell Behavior ◽  
Mechanical Stimuli ◽  
Tissue Integrity

Adult stem cells are undifferentiated elements able to self-renew or differentiate to maintain tissue integrity. Within this context, stem cells are able to divide in a symmetric fashion, feature characterising all the somatic cells, or in an asymmetric way, which leads daughter cells to different fates. It is worth highlighting that cell polarity have a critical role in regulating stem cell asymmetric division and the proper control of cell division depends on different proteins involved in cell development, differentiation and maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Moreover, the interaction between cells and the extracellular matrix are crucial in influencing cell behavior, included in terms of mechanical properties as cytoskeleton plasticity and remodelling, and membrane tension. Finally, the activation of specific transcriptional program and epigenetic modifications contributes to cell fate determination, through modulation of cellular signalling cascades. It is well known that physical and mechanical stimuli are able to influence biological systems, and in this context, the effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) have already shown a considerable role, even though there is a lack of knowledge and much remains to be done around this topic. In this review, we summarize the historical background of EMFs applications and the main molecular mechanism involved in cellular remodelling, with particular attention to cytoskeleton elasticity and cell polarity, required for driving stem cell behavior.

scholarly journals Cytokine receptor-Eb1 interaction couples cell polarity and fate during asymmetric cell division

eLife ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cuie Chen ◽  
Ryan Cummings ◽  
Aghapi Mordovanakis ◽  
Alan J Hunt ◽  
Michael Mayer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Division ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Cell Polarity ◽  
Adult Stem Cells ◽  
Asymmetric Cell Division ◽  
Cytokine Receptor ◽  
Spindle Orientation ◽  
Germline Stem Cells ◽  
Self Renewal

Asymmetric stem cell division is a critical mechanism for balancing self-renewal and differentiation. Adult stem cells often orient their mitotic spindle to place one daughter inside the niche and the other outside of it to achieve asymmetric division. It remains unknown whether and how the niche may direct division orientation. Here we discover a novel and evolutionary conserved mechanism that couples cell polarity to cell fate. We show that the cytokine receptor homolog Dome, acting downstream of the niche-derived ligand Upd, directly binds to the microtubule-binding protein Eb1 to regulate spindle orientation in Drosophila male germline stem cells (GSCs). Dome’s role in spindle orientation is entirely separable from its known function in self-renewal mediated by the JAK-STAT pathway. We propose that integration of two functions (cell polarity and fate) in a single receptor is a key mechanism to ensure an asymmetric outcome following cell division.

scholarly journals Alternative polyadenylation of Pax3 controls muscle stem cell fate and muscle function

Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 366 (6466) ◽  
pp. 734-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoine de Morree ◽  
Julian D. D. Klein ◽  
Qiang Gan ◽  
Jean Farup ◽  
Andoni Urtasun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Messenger Rna ◽  
Adult Stem Cells ◽  
Alternative Polyadenylation ◽  
Quiescent State ◽  
Stem Cell Fate ◽  
Activation Rate

Adult stem cells are essential for tissue homeostasis. In skeletal muscle, muscle stem cells (MuSCs) reside in a quiescent state, but little is known about the mechanisms that control homeostatic turnover. Here we show that, in mice, the variation in MuSC activation rate among different muscles (for example, limb versus diaphragm muscles) is determined by the levels of the transcription factor Pax3. We further show that Pax3 levels are controlled by alternative polyadenylation of its transcript, which is regulated by the small nucleolar RNA U1. Isoforms of the Pax3 messenger RNA that differ in their 3′ untranslated regions are differentially susceptible to regulation by microRNA miR206, which results in varying levels of the Pax3 protein in vivo. These findings highlight a previously unrecognized mechanism of the homeostatic regulation of stem cell fate by multiple RNA species.

Constructing stem cell microenvironments using bioengineering approaches

2013 ◽  
Vol 45 (23) ◽  
pp. 1123-1135 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Brafman
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Disease Modeling ◽  
Mechanical Stimuli ◽  
Culture Methods ◽  
Stem Cell Fate ◽  
And Function

Within the adult organism, stem cells reside in defined anatomical microenvironments called niches. These architecturally diverse microenvironments serve to balance stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. Proper regulation of this balance is instrumental to tissue repair and homeostasis, and any imbalance can potentially lead to diseases such as cancer. Within each of these microenvironments, a myriad of chemical and physical stimuli interact in a complex (synergistic or antagonistic) manner to tightly regulate stem cell fate. The in vitro replication of these in vivo microenvironments will be necessary for the application of stem cells for disease modeling, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine purposes. However, traditional reductionist approaches have only led to the generation of cell culture methods that poorly recapitulate the in vivo microenvironment. To that end, novel engineering and systems biology approaches have allowed for the investigation of the biological and mechanical stimuli that govern stem cell fate. In this review, the application of these technologies for the dissection of stem cell microenvironments will be analyzed. Moreover, the use of these engineering approaches to construct in vitro stem cell microenvironments that precisely control stem cell fate and function will be reviewed. Finally, the emerging trend of using high-throughput, combinatorial methods for the stepwise engineering of stem cell microenvironments will be explored.

scholarly journals The evolving biology of small molecules: controlling cell fate and identity

2011 ◽  
Vol 366 (1575) ◽  
pp. 2208-2221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jem A. Efe ◽  
Sheng Ding
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Small Molecules ◽  
Somatic Cell ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Adult Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell Biology ◽  
Vast Number ◽  
Short Period

Small molecules have been playing important roles in elucidating basic biology and treatment of a vast number of diseases for nearly a century, making their use in the field of stem cell biology a comparatively recent phenomenon. Nonetheless, the power of biology-oriented chemical design and synthesis, coupled with significant advances in screening technology, has enabled the discovery of a growing number of small molecules that have improved our understanding of stem cell biology and allowed us to manipulate stem cells in unprecedented ways. This review focuses on recent small molecule studies of (i) the key pathways governing stem cell homeostasis, (ii) the pluripotent stem cell niche, (iii) the directed differentiation of stem cells, (iv) the biology of adult stem cells, and (v) somatic cell reprogramming. In a very short period of time, small molecules have defined a perhaps universally attainable naive ground state of pluripotency, and are facilitating the precise, rapid and efficient differentiation of stem cells into somatic cell populations relevant to the clinic. Finally, following the publication of numerous groundbreaking studies at a pace and consistency unusual for a young field, we are closer than ever to completely eliminating the need for genetic modification in reprogramming.

scholarly journals Embryonic attenuated Wnt/β-catenin signaling defines niche location and long-term stem cell fate in hair follicle

eLife ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zijian Xu ◽  
Wenjie Wang ◽  
Kaiju Jiang ◽  
Zhou Yu ◽  
Huanwei Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Hair Follicle ◽  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Adult Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell Markers ◽  
Hair Follicle Stem Cells ◽  
Follicle Stem Cells

Long-term adult stem cells sustain tissue regeneration throughout the lifetime of an organism. They were hypothesized to originate from embryonic progenitor cells that acquire long-term self-renewal ability and multipotency at the end of organogenesis. The process through which this is achieved often remains unclear. Here, we discovered that long-term hair follicle stem cells arise from embryonic progenitor cells occupying a niche location that is defined by attenuated Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Hair follicle initiation is marked by placode formation, which depends on the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Soon afterwards, a region with attenuated Wnt/β-catenin signaling emerges in the upper follicle. Embryonic progenitor cells residing in this region gain expression of adult stem cell markers and become definitive long-term hair follicle stem cells at the end of organogenesis. Attenuation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is a prerequisite for hair follicle stem cell specification because it suppresses Sox9, which is required for stem cell formation.

scholarly journals Cytokinetic Abscission Regulation in Neural Stem Cells and Tissue Development

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrina C. McNeely ◽  
Noelle D. Dwyer
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Neural Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Cell Polarity ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Tissue Growth ◽  
Developmentally Regulated ◽  
Daughter Cells ◽  
Fate Determinants

Abstract Purpose of Review How stem cells balance proliferation with differentiation, giving rise to specific daughter cells during development to build an embryo or tissue, remains an open question. Here, we discuss recent evidence that cytokinetic abscission regulation in stem cells, particularly neural stem cells (NSCs), is part of the answer. Abscission is a multi-step process mediated by the midbody, a microtubule-based structure formed in the intercellular bridge between daughter cells after mitosis. Recent Findings Human mutations and mouse knockouts in abscission genes reveal that subtle disruptions of NSC abscission can cause brain malformations. Experiments in several epithelial systems have shown that midbodies serve as scaffolds for apical junction proteins and are positioned near apical membrane fate determinants. Abscission timing is tightly controlled and developmentally regulated in stem cells, with delayed abscission in early embryos and faster abscission later. Midbody remnants (MBRs) contain over 400 proteins and may influence polarity, fate, and ciliogenesis. Summary As NSCs and other stem cells build tissues, they tightly regulate three aspects of abscission: midbody positioning, duration, and MBR handling. Midbody positioning and remnants establish or maintain cell polarity. MBRs are deposited on the apical membranes of epithelia, can be released or internalized by surrounding cells, and may sequester fate determinants or transfer information between cells. Work in cell lines and simpler systems has shown multiple roles for abscission regulation influencing stem cell polarity, potency, and daughter fates during development. Elucidating how the abscission process influences cell fate and tissue growth is important for our continued understanding of brain development and stem cell biology.

scholarly journals Stem cell niche signals Wnt, Hedgehog, and Notch distinctively regulate Drosophila follicle precursor cell differentiation

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Dai ◽  
Amy Peterson ◽  
Thomas Kenney ◽  
Denise J. Montell
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Stem Cell Niche ◽  
Adult Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Wnt Signalling ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Cell Niche

AbstractAdult stem cells commonly give rise to transit-amplifying progenitors, whose progeny differentiate into distinct cell types. Signals within the stem cell niche maintain the undifferentiated state. However it is unclear whether or how niche signals might also coordinate fate decisions within the progenitor pool. Here we use quantitative microscopy to elucidate distinct roles for Wnt, Hedgehog (Hh), and Notch signalling in progenitor development in the Drosophila ovary. Follicle stem cells (FSCs) self-renew and produce precursors whose progeny adopt distinct polar, stalk, and main body cell fates. We show that a steep gradient of Wnt signalling maintains a multipotent state in proximally located progenitor cells by inhibiting expression of the cell fate determinant Eyes Absent (Eya). A shallower gradient of Hh signalling controls the proliferation to differentiation transition. The combination of Notch and Wnt signalling specifies polar cells. These findings reveal a mechanism by which multiple niche signals coordinate cell fate diversification of progenitor cells.

scholarly journals Heterochromatin protein 1 promotes self-renewal and triggers regenerative proliferation in adult stem cells

2013 ◽  
Vol 201 (3) ◽  
pp. 409-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
An Zeng ◽  
Yong-Qin Li ◽  
Chen Wang ◽  
Xiao-Shuai Han ◽  
Ge Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Adult Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Heterochromatin Protein 1 ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Blastema Formation ◽  
Cell Fate Decisions ◽  
Chromatin Regulators

Adult stem cells (ASCs) capable of self-renewal and differentiation confer the potential of tissues to regenerate damaged parts. Epigenetic regulation is essential for driving cell fate decisions by rapidly and reversibly modulating gene expression programs. However, it remains unclear how epigenetic factors elicit ASC-driven regeneration. In this paper, we report that an RNA interference screen against 205 chromatin regulators identified 12 proteins essential for ASC function and regeneration in planarians. Surprisingly, the HP1-like protein SMED–HP1-1 (HP1-1) specifically marked self-renewing, pluripotent ASCs, and HP1-1 depletion abrogated self-renewal and promoted differentiation. Upon injury, HP1-1 expression increased and elicited increased ASC expression of Mcm5 through functional association with the FACT (facilitates chromatin transcription) complex, which consequently triggered proliferation of ASCs and initiated blastema formation. Our observations uncover an epigenetic network underlying ASC regulation in planarians and reveal that an HP1 protein is a key chromatin factor controlling stem cell function. These results provide important insights into how epigenetic mechanisms orchestrate stem cell responses during tissue regeneration.

scholarly journals Drosophila as a Model for Developmental Biology: Stem Cell-Fate Decisions in the Developing Nervous System

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Harding ◽  
Kristin White
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Neural Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Cell Behavior ◽  
Stem Cell Fate ◽  
Cell Fate Decisions ◽  
Unique System ◽  
Developing Nervous System

Stem cells face a diversity of choices throughout their lives. At specific times, they may decide to initiate cell division, terminal differentiation, or apoptosis, or they may enter a quiescent non-proliferative state. Neural stem cells in the Drosophila central nervous system do all of these, at stereotypical times and anatomical positions during development. Distinct populations of neural stem cells offer a unique system to investigate the regulation of a particular stem cell behavior, while comparisons between populations can lead us to a broader understanding of stem cell identity. Drosophila is a well-described and genetically tractable model for studying fundamental stem cell behavior and the mechanisms that underlie cell-fate decisions. This review will focus on recent advances in our understanding of the factors that contribute to distinct stem cell-fate decisions within the context of the Drosophila nervous system.

scholarly journals Cytokine receptor-Eb1 interaction couples cell polarity and fate during asymmetric cell division

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cuie Chen ◽  
Ryan Cummings ◽  
Aghapi Mordovanakis ◽  
Alan J. Hunt ◽  
Michael Mayer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cell Division ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Cell Polarity ◽  
Adult Stem Cells ◽  
Asymmetric Cell Division ◽  
Cytokine Receptor ◽  
Spindle Orientation ◽  
Germline Stem Cells ◽  
Self Renewal

AbstractAsymmetric stem cell division is a critical mechanism for balancing self-renewal and differentiation. Adult stem cells often orient their mitotic spindle to place one daughter inside the niche and the other outside of it to achieve asymmetric division. It remains unknown whether and how the niche may direct division orientation. Here we discover a novel and evolutionary conserved mechanism that couples cell polarity to cell fate. We show that the cytokine receptor homolog Dome, acting downstream of the niche-derived ligand Upd, directly binds to the microtubule-binding protein Eb1 to regulate spindle orientation in Drosophila male germline stem cells (GSCs). Dome’s role in spindle orientation is entirely separable from its known function in self-renewal mediated by the JAK-STAT pathway. We propose that integration of two functions (cell polarity and fate) in a single receptor is a key mechanism to ensure an asymmetric outcome following cell division.

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