R-spondin Is More Than Just Wnt’s Sidekick

Publication date: 5 June 2017
Source:Developmental Cell, Volume 41, Issue 5
Author(s): David J. Huels, Owen J. Sansom
The intestinal crypt and its stem cells are dependent on the Wnt pathway. Reporting in Nature, Yan et al. (2017) show that Wnts and Wnt signaling potentiator R-spondins have non-interchangeable roles. Both are necessary for intestinal stem cell (ISC) maintenance, and R-spondins are the limiting factor that defines ISC number.

Teaser

The intestinal crypt and its stem cells are dependent on the Wnt pathway. Reporting in Nature, Yan et al. (2017) show that Wnts and Wnt signaling potentiator R-spondins have non-interchangeable roles. Both are necessary for intestinal stem cell (ISC) maintenance, and R-spondins are the limiting factor that defines ISC number.


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