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Updated: May 23, 2026
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Quantification of Self-renewal in Murine Mammosphere Cultures
Published on: November 26, 2019
The proto-oncogene Myc is essential for mammary stem cell function
Mejdi Moumen1, Aurélie Chiche, Marie-Ange Deugnier
1Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, Paris, France.
Stem Cells (Dayton, Ohio)
|March 23, 2012
Summary
The transcription factor Myc is essential for mammary stem cell function and regeneration. Deleting Myc impairs stem cell self-renewal and progenitor maintenance, crucial for mammary gland development and repair.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- The mammary epithelium consists of basal and luminal cells.
- Basal cells possess multipotent stem cell potential for mammary gland regeneration.
- Luminal progenitors have clonogenic capacity, and both cell types express the transcription factor Myc.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of the transcription factor Myc in mammary stem cell function and regeneration.
- To determine Myc's necessity for maintaining mammary gland regenerative capacity.
- To elucidate Myc's role in the context of ovarian hormone signaling.
Main Methods:
- Deletion of Myc in mammary basal epithelial cells.
- Limiting dilution and serial transplantation assays for stem cell self-renewal.
- Colony formation assays for clonogenic capacity.
- Hormonal stimulation with estrogen and progesterone.
Main Results:
- Myc deletion impaired basal stem cell self-renewal and abolished clonogenic capacity.
- Luminal progenitor populations were diminished in Myc-deficient epithelium.
- Transplanted Myc-depleted basal cells failed to regenerate mammary epithelium.
- Hormonal stimulation partially rescued repopulation but did not restore stem/progenitor cells.
Conclusions:
- Myc is essential and nonredundant for maintaining mammary stem cell self-renewal and regenerative capacity.
- Myc functions downstream of ovarian hormones in controlling mammary stem and progenitor cell functions.
- This highlights Myc's critical role in mammary gland homeostasis and development.
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