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Gucy2c Maintains Intestinal Lgr5+ Stem Cells By Opposing Er Stress, Crystal Kraft, Jeff A. Rappaport, Adam E. Snook, Amanda M. Pattison, John P. Lynch, Scott A. Waldman

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

Long-lived multipotent stem cells (ISCs) at the base of intestinal crypts adjust their phenotypes to accommodate normal maintenance and post-injury regeneration of the epithelium. Their long life, lineage plasticity, and proliferative potential underlie the necessity for tight homeostatic regulation of the ISC compartment. In that context, the guanylate cyclase C (GUCY2C) receptor and its paracrine ligands regulate intestinal epithelial homeostasis, including proliferation, lineage commitment, and DNA damage repair. However, a role for this axis in maintaining ISCs remains unknown. Transgenic mice enabling analysis of ISCs (Lgr5-GFP) in the context of GUCY2C elimination (Gucy2c^-/-) were combined with immunodetection techniques …