Neuroblasts: a model for the asymmetric division of stem cells.
The ability of stem cells to self-renew has hung been attributed to an asymmetry in division that generates one daughter cell identical to the mother and another cell committed to differentiation. Recent studies on neuroblasts, a group of neural stem cells responsible for generating various neurons and glial cells in the central nervous system, have revealed exciting mechanisms that underlie self-renewing asymmetric division. Several important localized cell fate determinants have been characterized, and their segregation mechanism has been explored in the context of cytoskeletal organization, cell-cycle type progression, cytokinesis and mitotic orientation. These findings are illuminating in understanding the general mechanism of stem cell division.
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Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC 27710, USA. halfan_lin@cellbio.duke.edu
Schagat
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D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007605:Juvenile Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D008322:Mammals / Q000502:physiology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D007605:Juvenile Hormones; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C497759:N protein, Drosophila; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D014157:Transcription Factors; C060606:numb protein, Drosophila; C073099:pros protein, Drosophila