SHORT COMMUNICATIONS

STEM CELL NICHES

The key to tissue homeostasis are the self renewing stem cells and daughter stem cells that
initiate differentiation
Tissue homeostasis is highly maintained; if not cell depletion or tumerogenesis happens.

Stem Cell Niche Hypothesis

1. Residues in the same environment, but different fates: Stem cells divide asymmetrically either
to Stem cell or to Differentiated cell
2. Upon division the daughter stem cells are placed in different micro environment to have
different cell fates

It can be said that the stem cell no., division, self renewal and differentiation are likely to be
regulated by the integration of intrinsic factors and extrinsic cues provided by the surrounding
micro environment now known as stem cell niche.

Why a stem cell niche was proposed?

Many adult stem cells loose the potential for continued self renewal when removed from their
normal cellular environment
Different signaling micro environment can direct daughter cell to adopt different fates

Stem cell niche Hypothesis

Signals from the local micro environment or niche specify stem cell renewal.
Niche also controls and limit stem cell numbers.

Functions of stem cell Niche

1. Spatial support
2. Provide proliferative and anti apoptotic signals to the cells
3. To exclude factors that promote differentiation
Stem cells are in contact with surrounding support cells that serves as a source of critical
signals controlling stem cell behavior, adhesion makes the stem cell to place close to self
renewal signals.
Niche also provides polarity cues i.e. spatial arrangement of stem cell is placed within the
niche and the sister is displaced away from the niche to become differentiated cell type.

Structural Components of Niche

Adhesion between stem cells and the surrounding support cells is important for the holding
stem cells within the niche. In dorsophila, clusters of adherens junctions are observed between
female GSCs and cap cells similarly between male GSCs and the adjacent hub cells.
 DE-cardherin mediated cell adhesion is required for holding GSCs in their niche in germarium
Gap junctional intercellular communication via transfer of small molecules may also be
involved in the survival and differentiation of early germ cells in the Drosophila ovary.
Mutations in the zero population growth(zpg) gene, which encodes a germline specific gap
junction protein, result in loss of early germ cells in differentiation in both males and females.
Zpg protein is concentrated on the germcell soma interface in male and females and between
adjacent germ cells in developing egg chambers.

Summary
1. Secreted factors elaborated by or induced by cells composing the stem cell niche can function
to direct stem cell fate decision. Precise signaling pathways maybe different for each stem cell
type and within each stem cell niche. Drosophila studies indicate that support cells adjacent to
stem cells secrete factors required for maintaining stem cell identity and for specifying stem
cell self renewal (Both JAK-STAT signaling and TGF beta signaling ). Wnt signaling also
involved in directing the proliferation of stem cells, transit amplifying cells or both.
2. Cell adhesion is also a characteristic of interaction of stem cells within the niche. Adhesion
between stem cells and niche cells is required for stem cell maintenance. Attachment of niche
cells to basal lamina is also important for stem cell maintenance. High levels of the beta1
integrin characteristics of stem cells in interfollicular epidermis and in the multipotent stem
cell within the bulged region of the outer route sheath. Cell adhesion molecules that play roles
may differ among different stem cell niche systems.
3. Precise cellular organization of stem cells with respect to surrounding supporting cells may
play an important role in the regulation of stem cell numbers. The mitotic spindle is oriented to
place the daughter cells that will retain the stem cell identity. The daughter cells away from
niche differentiate. Niche may provide polarity cues towards which stem cells can orient
during division.