Brachyury identifies a class of enteroendocrine cells in normal human intestinal crypts and colorectal cancer

• Autor(a) principal: Jezkova, Jana
• Data de Publicação: 2016
• Outros Autores: Williams, Jason S., Pinto, Filipe Manuel Teixeira, Sammut Stephen J., Williams, Geraint T., Gollins, Simon, McFarlane, Ramsay J., Reis, R. M., Wakeman, Jane A.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/1822/45060
• topic: Brachyury; Enteroendocrine cells; Small intestine/colon; Crypts; Colorectal cancer; Science & Technology

Normal homeostasis of adult intestinal epithelium and repair following tissue damage is maintained by a balance of stem and differentiated cells, many of which are still only poorly characterised. Enteroendocrine cells of the gut are a small population of differentiated, secretory cells that are critical for integrating nutrient sensing with metabolic responses, dispersed amongst other epithelial cells. Recent evidence suggests that sub-sets of secretory enteroendocrine cells can act as reserve stem cells. Given the link between cells with stem-like properties and cancer, it is important that we identify factors that might provide a bridge between the two. Here, we identify a sub-set of chromogranin A-positive enteroendocrine cells that are positive for the developmental and cancer-associated transcription factor Brachyury in normal human small intestinal and colonic crypts. Whilst chromogranin A-positive enteroendocrine cells are also Brachyury-positive in colorectal tumours, expression of Brachyury becomes more diffuse in these samples, suggesting a more widespread function in cancer. The finding of the developmental transcription factor Brachyury in normal adult human intestinal crypts may extend the functional complexity of enteroendocrine cells and serves as a platform for assessment of the molecular processes of intestinal homeostasis that underpins our understanding of human health, cancer and aging.