title: Paneth Cell-Rich Regions Separated by a Cluster of Lgr5+ Cells Initiate Crypt Fission in the Intestinal Stem Cell Niche.
abstract: The crypts of the intestinal epithelium house the stem cells that ensure the continual renewal of the epithelial cells that line the intestinal tract. Crypt number increases by a process called crypt fission, the division of a single crypt into two daughter crypts. Fission drives normal tissue growth and maintenance. Correspondingly, it becomes less frequent in adulthood. Importantly, fission is reactivated to drive adenoma growth. The mechanisms governing fission are poorly understood. However, only by knowing how normal fission operates can cancer-associated changes be elucidated. We studied normal fission in tissue in three dimensions using high-resolution imaging and used intestinal organoids to identify underlying mechanisms. We discovered that both the number and relative position of Paneth cells and Lgr5+ cells are important for fission. Furthermore, the higher stiffness and increased adhesion of Paneth cells are involved in determining the site of fission. Formation of a cluster of Lgr5+ cells between at least two Paneth-cell-rich domains establishes the site for the upward invagination that initiates fission.
authors.affiliation: Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alistair J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Langlands
authors.affiliation: School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Axel A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Almet
authors.affiliation: Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Paul L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Appleton
authors.affiliation: Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ian P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.affiliation: School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Osborne
authors.affiliation: Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Inke S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Näthke
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002452:Cell Count; D002455:Cell Division; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D039663:Integrin beta4 / Q000378:metabolism; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008954:Models, Biological; D009940:Organoids / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D019879:Paneth Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D055153:Stem Cell Niche; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D039663:Integrin beta4; C493597:Lgr5 protein, mouse; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled