Probes for INS

Long-term adult stem cells sustain tissue regeneration throughout the lifetime of an organism. They were hypothesized to originate from embryonic progenitor cells that acquire long-term self-renewal ability and multipotency at the end of organogenesis. The process through which this is achieved often remains unclear. Here, we discovered that long-term hair follicle stem cells arise from embryonic progenitor cells occupying a niche location that is defined by attenuated Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Hair follicle initiation is marked by placode formation, which depends on the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Soon afterwards, a region with attenuated Wnt/β-catenin signaling emerges in the upper follicle. Embryonic progenitor cells residing in this region gain expression of adult stem cell markers and become definitive long-term hair follicle stem cells at the end of organogenesis. Attenuation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is a prerequisite for hair follicle stem cell specification because it suppresses Sox9, which is required for stem cell formation.

A key step of Wnt signaling activation is the recruitment of β-catenin to the Wnt target-gene promoter in the nucleus, but its mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we identified FoxM1 as a novel target of Wnt signaling, which is essential for β-catenin/TCF4 transactivation. GSK3 phosphorylates FoxM1 on serine 474 which induces FoxM1 ubiquitination mediated by FBXW7. Wnt signaling activation inhibits FoxM1 phosphorylation by GSK3-Axin complex and leads to interaction between FoxM1 and deubiquitinating enzyme USP5, thereby deubiquitination and stabilization of FoxM1. FoxM1 accumulation in the nucleus promotes recruitment of β-catenin to Wnt target-gene promoter and activates the Wnt signaling pathway by protecting the β-catenin/TCF4 complex from ICAT inhibition. Subsequently, the USP5-FoxM1 axis abolishes the inhibitory effect of ICAT and is required for Wnt-mediated tumor cell proliferation. Therefore, Wnt-induced deubiquitination of FoxM1 represents a novel and critical mechanism for controlling canonical Wnt signaling and cell proliferation.

In mice, implantation always occurs towards the antimesometrial side of the uterus, while the placenta develops at the mesometrial side. What determines this particular orientation of the implanting blastocyst remains unclear. Uterine glands are critical for implantation and pregnancy. In this study, we showed that uterine gland development and active Wnt signalling activity is limited to the antimesometrial side of the uterus. Dkk2, a known antagonist of Wnt signalling, is only present at the mesometrial side of the uterus. Imaging of whole uterus, thick uterine sections (100-1000μm), and individual glands revealed that uterine glands are simple tubes with branches that are directly connected to the luminal epithelium and are only present towards the antimesometrial side of the uterus. By developing a unique mouse model targeting the uterine epithelium, we demonstrated that Wnt/β-catenin signaling is essential for prepubertal gland formation and normal implantation, but dispensable for postpartum gland development and regeneration. Our results for the first time have provided a probable explanation for the antimesometrial bias for implantation.

Under injury conditions, dedicated stem cell populations govern tissue regeneration. However, the molecular mechanisms that induce stem cell regeneration and enable plasticity are poorly understood. Here, we investigate stem cell recovery in the context of the hair follicle to understand how two molecularly distinct stem cell populations are integrated. Utilizing diphtheria-toxin-mediated cell ablation of Lgr5+(leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 5) stem cells, we show that killing of Lgr5+ cells in mice abrogates hair regeneration but this is reversible. During recovery, CD34+ (CD34 antigen) stem cells activate inflammatory response programs and start dividing. Pharmacological attenuation of inflammation inhibits CD34+ cell proliferation. Subsequently, the Wnt pathway controls the recovery of Lgr5+ cells and inhibition of Wnt signalling prevents Lgr5+ cell and hair germ recovery. Thus, our study uncovers a compensatory relationship between two stem cell populations and the underlying molecular mechanisms that enable hair follicle regeneration.

Despite recent efforts to dissect the inter-tumor heterogeneity of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) by determining prognosis-predictive gene expression signatures for specific subtypes, their functional differences remain elusive. Here, we established a pancreatic tumor organoid library encompassing 39 patient-derived PDACs and identified 3 functional subtypes based on their stem cell niche factor dependencies on Wnt and R-spondin. A Wnt-non-producing subtype required Wnt from cancer-associated fibroblasts, whereas a Wnt-producing subtype autonomously secreted Wnt ligands and an R-spondin-independent subtype grew in the absence of Wnt and R-spondin. Transcriptome analysis of PDAC organoids revealed gene-expression signatures that associated Wnt niche subtypes with GATA6-dependent gene expression subtypes, which were functionally supported by genetic perturbation of GATA6. Furthermore, CRISPR-Cas9-based genome editing of PDAC driver genes (KRAS, CDKN2A, SMAD4, and TP53) demonstrated non-genetic acquisition of Wnt niche independence during pancreas tumorigenesis. Collectively, our results reveal functional heterogeneity of Wnt niche independency in PDAC that is non-genetically formed through tumor progression.

The mammalian Hippo signaling pathway, through its effectors YAP and TAZ, coerces epithelial progenitor cell expansion for appropriate tissue development or regeneration upon damage. Its ability to drive rapid tissue growth explains why many oncogenic events frequently exploit this pathway to promote cancer phenotypes. Indeed, several tumor types including basal cell carcinoma (BCC) show genetic aberrations in the Hippo (or YAP/TAZ) regulators. Here, we uncover that while YAP is dispensable for homeostatic epidermal regeneration, it is required for BCC development. Our clonal analyses further demonstrate that the few emerging Yap-null dysplasia have lower fitness and thus are diminished as they progress to invasive BCC Mechanistically, YAP depletion in BCC tumors leads to effective impairment of the JNK-JUN signaling, a well-established tumor-driving cascade. Importantly, in this context, YAP does not influence canonical Wnt or Hedgehog signaling. Overall, we reveal Hippo signaling as an independent promoter of BCC pathogenesis and thereby a viable target for drug-resistant BCC.

Recent sequencing analyses have shed light on heterogeneous patterns of genomic aberrations in human gastric cancers (GCs). To explore how individual genetic events translate into cancer phenotypes, we established a biological library consisting of genetically engineered gastric organoids carrying various GC mutations and 37 patient-derived organoid lines, including rare genomically stable GCs. Phenotype analyses of GC organoids revealed divergent genetic and epigenetic routes to gain Wnt and R-spondin niche independency. An unbiased phenotype-based genetic screening identified a significant association between CDH1/TP53 compound mutations and the R-spondin independency that was functionally validated by CRISPR-based knockout. Xenografting of GC organoids further established the feasibility of Wnt-targeting therapy for Wnt-dependent GCs. Our results collectively demonstrate that multifaceted genetic abnormalities render human GCs independent of the stem cell niche and highlight the validity of the genotype-phenotype screening strategy in gaining deeper understanding of human cancers.