In vitro expansion of single adult Lgr5+ liver cells induced by Wnt-driven regeneration

ABSTRACT: The Wnt target gene Lgr5 marks actively dividing stem cells in Wnt-driven, self-renewing tissues such as small intestine and colon, stomach and hair follicles. A 3D culture system allows long-term clonal expansion of single Lgr5+ stem cells into transplantable organoids that retain many characteristics of the original epithelial architecture. A crucial component of the culture medium is the Wnt agonist Rspo, the recently discovered ligand of Lgr5. Here we show that Lgr5-LacZ is not expressed in healthy adult liver, yet that small Lgr5-LacZ+ cells appear near bile ducts upon damage, coinciding with robust activation of Wnt signaling. As shown by lineage tracing using a novel Lgr5-ires-CreERT2 knock-in allele, damage-induced Lgr5+ cells generate hepatocytes and bile ducts in vivo. Single Lg

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

SUBMITTER: Vivian Li 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-32210 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress