Work

Stem cells, signals and vertebrate body axis extension

Year: 2009

Type: review

Abstract: The progressive generation of chick and mouse axial tissues - the spinal cord, skeleton and musculature of the body - has long been proposed to depend on the activity of multipotent stem cells. Here, we evaluate evidence for the existence and multipotency of axial stem cells. We show that although the data strongly support their existence, there is little definitive information about their multipotency or extent of contribution to the axis. We also review the location and molecular characteristics of these putative stem cells, along with their evolutionary conservation in vertebrates and the signalling mechanisms that regulate and arrest axis extension.

Source: Development

DOI: 10.1242/dev.021246

Authors: Valerie Wilson, Isabel Olivera-Martinez, Kate G. Storey

Institutions: MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, University of Dundee

Language: English

Topic: Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: Medical Research Council

OpenAlex ID: W2128103940