Summary
The durations of the phases of the cell cycle were measured at different levels in the jejunal crypts of male Balb/c mice. A mean cell cycle time of 12.3 h was found for the whole crypt. In cell positions 1 and 2, the cell cycle time was 16.7 h, and this time steadily decreased to a value of between 10 and 11 h for cell positions above 11. It is concluded that basally situated crypt cells in the mouse are cycling relatively slowly, and that they form the functional stem cell pool for the crypt. These cells may also compose the potential stem cell pool which repopulates the crypt after death of proliferative cells.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Al-Dewachi, H.S., Wright, N.A., Appleton, D.R., Watson, A.J.: The cell cycle time in the rat jejunal mucosa. Cell Tissue Kinet.7, 587–594 (1974)
Al-Dewachi, H.S., Wright, N.A., Appleton, D.R., Watson, A.J.: Cell population kinetics in the mouse jejunal crypt. Virchows Arch. B Cell Path.18, 225–242 (1975)
Al-Dewachi, H.S., Wright, N.A., Appleton, D.R., Watson, A.J.: The effect of a single injection of hydroxyurea on cell population kinetics in the small bowel mucosa of the rat. Cell Tissue Kinet.10, 203–213 (1977)
Al-Dewachi, H.S., Wright, N.A., Appleton, D.R., Watson, A.J.: The effect of a single injection of cytosine arabinoside on cell population kinetics in the mouse jejunal crypt. (in preparation)
Boarder, T.A., Blackett, N.M.: The proliferative status of intestinal epithelial clonogenic cells: sensitivity to S-phase-specific cytotoxic agents. Cell Tissue Kinet.9, 589–596 (1976)
Cairnie, A.B., Lamerton, L.F., Steel, G.G.: Cell proliferation studies in the intestinal epithelium of the rat. I Determination of the kinetic parameters. Exp. Cell Res.39, 528–538 (1965)
Cheng, H., Leblond, C.P.: Origin, differentiation and renewal of the four main epithelial cell types in the mouse small intestine. V. Unitarian theory of the origin of the four epithelial cell types. Am. J. Anat.141, 537–561 (1974)
Gilbert, C.W.: The labelled mitoses curve and the estimation of the parameters of the cell cycle. Cell Tissue Kinet.5, 53–63 (1972)
Hagemann, R.F., Sigdestad, C.P., Lesher, S.: Intestinal crypt survival and total and per crypt levels of proliferative cellularity following irradiation: Single X-ray exposures. Radiat. Res.46, 533–546 (1971)
Hendry, J.H., Pötten, C.S.: Cryptogenic cells and proliferative cells in intestinal epithelium. Int. J. Radiat. Biol.25, 583–588 (1974)
Potten, C.S., Hendry, J.H.: Differential regeneration of intestinal proliferative cells and cryptogenic cells after irradiation. Int. J. Radiat. Biol.27, 413–424 (1975)
Schultze, B., Haack, V., Schmeer, A.C. and Maurer, W.: Autoradiographic investigations on the cell kinetics of crypt epithelia in the jejunum of the mouse. Cell Tissue Kinet.5, 131–145 (1972)
Steel, G.G.: In: Growth kinetics of tumours, pp. 141–142. Oxford: Oxford University Press 1977
Thrasher, J.D., Greulich, R.C.: The duodenal progenitor population. I Age related increase in the duration of the cryptal progenitor cycle. J. Exp. Zool.159, 39–46 (1965)
Whithers, H.R., Elkind, M.M.: Microcolony survival assay for cells of mouse intestinal mucosa exposed to radiation. Int. J. Radiat. Biol.17, 261–267 (1970)
Wright, N., Morley, A., Appleton, D.: Variation in the duration of mitosis in the crypts of Lieberkuhn of the rat; a cytokinetic study using vincristine. Cell Tissue Kinet.5, 351–364 (1972)
Wright, N.A.: Cell kinetics of repopulating cells in the intestine. In: Stem cell and homeostasis, Lord, B., Potten, S. (eds.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1978
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Al-Dewachi, H.S., Appleton, D.R., Watson, A.J. et al. Variation in the cell cycle time in the crypts of lieberkühn of the mouse. Virchows Archiv B Cell Pathol 31, 37–44 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02889921
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02889921