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Published on: February 16, 2024
The circadian clock gates the intestinal stem cell regenerative state
Phillip Karpowicz1, Yong Zhang, John B Hogenesch
1Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. pkarpowicz@genetics.med.harvard.edu
Cell Reports
|April 16, 2013
Summary
The intestine
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Cell Biology
- Chronobiology
Background:
- Intestinal stem cells (ISCs) regenerate the intestine following damage.
- Key signaling pathways like Wnt, Notch, and Hippo regulate mammalian ISCs and are conserved across species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of the circadian clock in intestinal regeneration.
- To identify clock-regulated genes involved in the healing process.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of gene expression during intestinal regeneration.
- Investigating the impact of circadian clock disruption on ISC proliferation.
Main Results:
- The transcription factor period, a circadian clock component, is crucial for intestinal regeneration.
- Hundreds of transcripts, including stress response and regeneration pathway components, are clock-regulated during healing.
- Disruption of clock components results in arrhythmic ISC divisions.
Conclusions:
- The circadian clock plays a critical, underappreciated role in intestinal stem cell-mediated regeneration.
- Clock components regulate ISC division timing and contribute to the healing process.
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