Opposing JAK-STAT and Wnt signaling gradients define a stem cell domain by regulating differentiation at two borders
- Columbia University, United States
Abstract
Many adult stem cell communities are maintained by population asymmetry, where stochastic behaviors of multiple individual cells collectively result in a balance between stem cell division and differentiation. We investigated how this is achieved for Drosophila Follicle Stem Cells (FSCs) by spatially-restricted niche signals. FSCs produce transit-amplifying Follicle Cells (FCs) from their posterior face and quiescent Escort Cells (ECs) to their anterior. We show that JAK-STAT pathway activity, which declines from posterior to anterior, dictates the pattern of divisions over the FSC domain, promotes more posterior FSC locations and conversion to FCs, while opposing EC production. Wnt pathway activity declines from the anterior, promotes anterior FSC locations and EC production, and opposes FC production. The pathways combine to define a stem cell domain through concerted effects on FSC differentiation to ECs and FCs at either end of opposing signaling gradients, and impose a pattern of proliferation that matches derivative production.
Data availability
All data analysed are included in the manuscript and supporting files. One source data file includes numerical data for all Figures.
Article and author information
Author details
Funding
National Institutes of Health (RO1 GM079351)
- Daniel Kalderon
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.
Reviewing Editor
- Valerie Horsley, Yale University, United States
Version history
- Received: July 17, 2020
- Accepted: October 30, 2020
- Accepted Manuscript published: November 2, 2020 (version 1)
- Version of Record published: November 27, 2020 (version 2)
Copyright
© 2020, Melamed & Kalderon
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
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Opposing JAK-STAT and Wnt signaling gradients define a stem cell domain by regulating differentiation at two borders
eLife 9:e61204.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.61204
