Visualization of individual cell division history in complex tissues using iCOUNT

Area of Science:

• Stem cell biology
• Developmental biology
• Molecular biology

Background:

• The division potential of individual stem cells is largely unknown.
• The molecular consequences of successive stem cell proliferation are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a tool to track cell division events in stem cells.
• To analyze the molecular consequences of repeated cell divisions in stem cells.
• To gain insights into stem cell behavior and tissue formation.

Main Methods:

• Development of an inducible cell division counter (iCOUNT).
• Application of iCOUNT in human and mouse tissues in vitro and in vivo.
• Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of iCOUNT-labeled cells.

Main Results:

• iCOUNT successfully reports cell division events in human and mouse tissues.
• Analysis of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) revealed novel insights into stem cell behavior.
• Identification of conserved molecular pathways regulated by cell division history in mouse and human cells.

Conclusions:

• iCOUNT is a valuable tool for characterizing molecular consequences of stem cell division.
• The study provides insights into cellular principles of tissue formation, homeostasis, and repair.
• This technology enables comparative analysis of stem cell division histories across species.