%0 Journal Article
%T E-cadherin is Required for the Homeostasis of Lgr5+ Gastric Antral Stem Cells
%A Chong Zhang
%A Guan Yang
%A Jiaqian Xu
%A Jinliang Zhang
%A Xiao Yang
%A Xiubin Li
%A Yan Teng
%A Yanxiao Wang
%A Yeguang Chen
%A Yuling Tang
%J International Journal of Biological Sciences
%D 2019
%R 10.7150/ijbs.28879
%X Lgr5-expressing stem cells contribute to the epithelial turnover of the gastric antrum. However, the mechanism controlling the homeostasis of Lgr5+ antral stem cells is not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate the key role of E-cadherin in the homeostasis of Lgr5+ gastric antral stem cells. The deletion of E-cadherin in these cells results in their apoptosis, thereby leading to a marked decrease in their number. A reduced Lgr5+ stem cell pool caused by the loss of E-cadherin impairs gastric antral epithelial homeostasis in vivo and organoid growth in vitro. Furthermore, p53 contributes to the apoptosis of Lgr5+ stem cells following E-cadherin loss, while the simultaneous deletion of p53 rescues the phenotype in E-cadherin mutants. Our study reveals the critical pro-survival function of E-cadherin in Lgr5+ gastric antral stem cells and the key role of the Lgr5+ stem cell pool in the maintenance of gastric epithelial homeostasis.
%K E-cadherin
%K gastric epithelium
%K Lgr5+ stem cells
%K apoptosis
%K homeostasis
%U http://www.ijbs.com/v15p0034.htm