PRb-mediated control of epithelial cell proliferation and Indian hedgehog expression in mouse intestinal development.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Self-renewal of the epithelium of the small intestine is a highly regulated process involving cell proliferation and differentiation of stem cells or progenitor cells located at the bottom of the crypt, ending ultimately with extrusion of the terminally differentiated cells at the tip of villus.

Results

Here, we utilized the Cre/loxP system to investigate the function of the retinoblastoma protein, pRb in intestinal epithelium. pRb null mice displayed a profoundly altered development of the intestine with increased proliferation and abnormal expression of differentiation markers. Loss of pRb induces cell hyperproliferation in the proliferative region (crypt) as well as in the differentiated zone (villi). The absence of pRb further results in an increase in the pop

SUBMITTER: Yang HS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1794236 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature