A localized Wnt signal orients asymmetric stem cell division in vitro. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Developmental signals such as Wnts are often presented to cells in an oriented manner. To examine the consequences of local Wnt signaling, we immobilized Wnt proteins on beads and introduced them to embryonic stem cells in culture. At the single-cell level, the Wnt-bead induced asymmetric distribution of Wnt-β-catenin signaling components, oriented the plane of mitotic division, and directed asymmetric inheritance of centrosomes. Before cytokinesis was completed, the Wnt-proximal daughter cell expressed high levels of nuclear β-catenin and pluripotency genes, whereas the distal daughter cell acquired hallmarks of differentiation. We suggest that a spatially restricted Wnt signal induces an oriented cell division that generates distinct cell fates at predictable positions relative to the Wnt source.

publication date

  • March 22, 2013

Research

keywords

  • Asymmetric Cell Division
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Embryonic Stem Cells
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway
  • Wnt3A Protein

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC3966430

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 84875456720

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1126/science.1231077

PubMed ID

  • 23520113

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 339

issue

  • 6126