Notch signaling regulates the differentiation of post-mitotic intestinal epithelial cells.
The intestinal epithelium comprises differentiated cells of four lineages maintained by precursor cells. As the Notch pathway controls the fate of proliferating cells in many systems, we investigated the effect of conditional expression of an activated Notch mutant in intestinal epithelium. An increase in the number of goblet cells occurs within 8 h of induction, due to an effect of Notch on post-mitotic cells, not on precursors. This observation broadens the role of Notch into controlling postmitotic differentiation and indicates that the composition of the epithelium is not solely determined by progenitor cells.
Zecchini
Vincent
V
MRC Cancer Cell Unit, Hutchison-MRC Research Centre, Cambridge CB2 2XZ, United Kingdom.
Domaschenz
Renae
R
Winton
Doug
D
Jones
Phil
P
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D020397:Goblet Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008938:Mitosis; D051381:Rats; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014162:Transfection
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins