Stem cell division is regulated by the microRNA pathway

One of the key characteristics of stem cells is their capacity to divide for long periods of time in an environment where most of the cells are quiescent. Therefore, a critical question in stem cell biology is how stem cells escape cell division stop signals. Here, we report the necessity of the mic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature 2005-06, Vol.435 (7044), p.974-978
Main Authors: Ruohola-Baker, H, Hatfield, S. D, Shcherbata, H. R, Fischer, K. A, Nakahara, K, Carthew, R. W
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biochemistry
Biological and medical sciences
Cell cycle, cell proliferation
Cell Division
Cell physiology
Drosophila melanogaster
Drosophila melanogaster - cytology
Drosophila melanogaster - enzymology
Drosophila melanogaster - genetics
Drosophila Proteins - genetics
Drosophila Proteins - metabolism
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
G1 Phase
Gene Deletion
Genome
Humanities and Social Sciences
letter
MicroRNAs - genetics
MicroRNAs - metabolism
Molecular and cellular biology
multidisciplinary
Nuclear Proteins - genetics
Nuclear Proteins - metabolism
Ribonuclease III - genetics
Ribonuclease III - metabolism
Ribonucleic acid
RNA
S Phase
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Signal transduction
Stem cells
Stem Cells - cytology
Stem Cells - enzymology
Stem Cells - metabolism
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Summary:One of the key characteristics of stem cells is their capacity to divide for long periods of time in an environment where most of the cells are quiescent. Therefore, a critical question in stem cell biology is how stem cells escape cell division stop signals. Here, we report the necessity of the microRNA (miRNA) pathway for proper control of germline stem cell (GSC) division in Drosophila melanogaster. Analysis of GSCs mutant for dicer-1 (dcr-1), the double-stranded RNaseIII essential for miRNA biogenesis, revealed a marked reduction in the rate of germline cyst production. These dcr-1 mutant GSCs exhibit normal identity but are defective in cell cycle control. On the basis of cell cycle markers and genetic interactions, we conclude that dcr-1 mutant GSCs are delayed in the G1 to S transition, which is dependent on the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor Dacapo, suggesting that miRNAs are required for stem cells to bypass the normal G1/S checkpoint. Hence, the miRNA pathway might be part of a mechanism that makes stem cells insensitive to environmental signals that normally stop the cell cycle at the G1/S transition.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/nature03816