Cell adhesion in regulation of asymmetric stem cell division.
Adult stem cells inevitably communicate with their cellular neighbors within the tissues they sustain. Indeed, such communication, particularly with components of the stem cell niche, is essential for many aspects of stem cell behavior, including the maintenance of stem cell identity and asymmetric cell division. Cell adhesion mediates this communication by placing stem cells in proximity to the signaling source and by providing a polarity cue that orients stem cells. Here, I review the recent discovery that cell adhesion molecules govern the behavior of stem cells.
Yamashita
Yukiko M
YM
Life Sciences Institute, Center for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. yukikomy@umich.edu
D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D004330:Drosophila; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015398:Signal Transduction; D055153:Stem Cell Niche; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*