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Cadherin 22 participates in the self-renewal of mouse female germ line stem cells via interaction with JAK2 and β-catenin

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Abstract

The self-renewal capacity of the stem cell pool determines tissue function and health. Cadherin-22 (Cdh22), a member of the cadherin superfamily, has two splicing patterns in rats, and the short type that lacks a catenin binding domain is closely related to spermatogonial stem cell self-renewal. Previously, we reported that CDH22 was highly expressed in mouse ovary germ cells, especially in female germ line stem cells (FGSCs). However, its underlying function in FGSCs is still not clear. Here, we found that Cdh22 encodes only one type of protein product in mice and demonstrated that CDH22 was required for FGSC self-renewal. In addition, JAK2 and β-catenin were found to interact with CDH22 and be involved in CDH22 signaling in mouse FGSCs. Moreover, extrinsic CDH22 was identified as a potential molecule that participates in FGSC adhesion and is pivotal for FGSC maintenance and self-renewal. These results reveal that CDH22 functions as an essential molecule in FGSC maintenance and self-renewal via different mechanisms, including interaction with the JAK-STAT signaling pathway and β-catenin.

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Abbreviations

BrdU:

5-Bromo-2′-deoxyuridine

CDH22:

Cadherin-22

FGSCs:

Female germ line stem cells

DMSO:

Dimethyl sulphoxide

JAK–STAT:

Janus kinase–signal transducer and activator of transcription

PCNA:

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (81200472) and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities in China (KYTZ201602).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China

    Xiaoyu Zhang, Yang Yang, Qin Xia, Hongfei Song, Rui Wei, Jingjing Wang & Kang Zou

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  1. Xiaoyu Zhang
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  2. Yang Yang
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  3. Qin Xia
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  4. Hongfei Song
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  5. Rui Wei
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  6. Jingjing Wang
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  7. Kang Zou
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Contributions

XZ, collection and/or assembly of data, data analysis and interpretation. YY, collection and/or assembly of data, data analysis and interpretation. QX, collection and/or assembly of data, data analysis and interpretation. HS, collection and/or assembly of data, and data analysis. RW, collection and/or assembly of data, and data analysis. JW, collection and/or assembly of data, and data analysis. KZ, conception and design, financial support, manuscript writing, and final approval of manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kang Zou.

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Zhang, X., Yang, Y., Xia, Q. et al. Cadherin 22 participates in the self-renewal of mouse female germ line stem cells via interaction with JAK2 and β-catenin. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 75, 1241–1253 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-017-2689-4

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