Long-lived intestinal tuft cells serve as colon cancer-initiating cells.

ABSTRACT: Doublecortin-like kinase 1 protein (DCLK1) is a gastrointestinal tuft cell marker that has been proposed to identify quiescent and tumor growth-sustaining stem cells. DCLK1⁺ tuft cells are increased in inflammation-induced carcinogenesis; however, the role of these cells within the gastrointestinal epithelium and their potential as cancer-initiating cells are poorly understood. Here, using a BAC-CreERT-dependent genetic lineage-tracing strategy, we determined that a subpopulation of DCLK1⁺ cells is extremely long lived and possesses rare stem cell abilities. Moreover, genetic ablation of Dclk1 revealed that DCLK1⁺ tuft cells contribute to recovery following intestinal and colonic injury. Surprisingly, conditional knockdown of the Wnt regulator APC in DCLK1⁺ cells was not sufficient to driv

SUBMITTER: Westphalen CB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3934168 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature