Spatiotemporal coordination of stem cell commitment during epidermal homeostasis.

Publication Year
2016

Type

Journal Article
Abstract

Adult tissues replace lost cells via pools of stem cells. However, the mechanisms of cell self-renewal, commitment, and functional integration into the tissue remain unsolved. Using imaging techniques in live mice, we captured the lifetime of individual cells in the ear and paw epidermis. Our data suggest that epidermal stem cells have equal potential to either divide or directly differentiate. Tracking stem cells over multiple generations reveals that cell behavior is not coordinated between generations. However, sibling cell fate and lifetimes are coupled. We did not observe regulated asymmetric cell divisions. Lastly, we demonstrated that differentiating stem cells integrate into preexisting ordered spatial units of the epidermis. This study elucidates how a tissue is maintained by both temporal and spatial coordination of stem cell behaviors.

Journal
Science (New York, N.Y.)
Volume
352
Issue
6292
Pages
1471-4
Date Published
06/2016
ISSN Number
1095-9203
Alternate Journal
Science
PMCID
PMC4958018
PMID
27229141