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How do cells know where to position themselves and where toaccumulate in order to carry out their functions correctly withineach organ? Researchers with the Colorectal Cancer Lab at IRBBarcelona have revealed the molecular mechanisms responsible fororganizing the intestinal epithelium into distinct comportments,defined by frontiers or territories. The study, headed by EduardBatlle, coordinator of the Oncology Programme at IRB Barcelona andICREA Research Professor, is published in the online version of thejournal Nature Cell Biology, part of the prestigious editorial group Nature. The organization of tissues and organs in the human body can becompared to a very complex and sophisticated engine, whosestructure is maintained by positioning its components (cells) in avery precise way. Errors in the assembly (location) of thecomponents might lead to changes in the function of the engine(tissue or organ). New protein complexes that position cells in the right place Complex tissues and organs require the separation of diverse cellstypes into separate zones in order to maintain their architecture.In the case of the intestinal epithelium, the lower part of theinvaginations formed by the epithelium, called crypts, contains stem cells that regenerate tissue, while the upper part holds differentiatedcells that are responsible for nutrient absorption. The so-called EphB receptors, present in the cells at the bottom ofthe crypts, bind to Ephrin ligands located mainly in differentiatedcells in the upper part of the intestinal epithelium. Theligand-receptor binding occurs at the frontier between the two cellpopulations and controls cell positioning in the tissue. However,until now, the way in which these ligand-receptor bindings instructcells to position themselves in one place or another was unknown. The results of this study demonstrate that EphB-ephrin bindingsactivate the metaloprotease ADAM10, which destroys the bindingbetween distinct cell types, such as between cells from the bottomand surface of crypts. It is the destruction of these bindingbetween cells from distinct compartments that prevents cell mixing,thus impeding once cell type from entering the wrong territory. Inthe words of Guiomar Solanas, first author of the article, "we havefound the molecular mechanisms by which EphB receptors and theirligands tell each cell where it has to be throughout its life: fromits generation from stem cells in the crypt bottom until itsdifferentiation". The loss of cell organization in a tissue is often associated with cancer. In addition to the loss of EphB receptor function in tumors isassociated with a worse prognosis for patients. This new regulatorymechanism of affinity between cells types and territory maintenancecould be key to our understanding of how less aggressive tumorsevolve into malignant ones. Additional References Citations. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Encrusting Machines Manufacturer , Bread Production Line Manufacturer for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Encrusting Machines.
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