Developmental biology: Nanotubes in the niche.

摘要: In fruit flies, protrusions can extend from stem cells in the testes to a regulatory hub, mediating intercellular signalling and stem-cell maintenance. The implications of this finding are presented here two angles. See Letter p.329 Stem cell niches provide short-range signals which only — not their differentiating progeny respond. It is still clear how such specificity achieved. Yukiko Yamashita colleagues report that Drosophila male germline form previously unrecognized structures, microtubule-based nanotubes, into major component niche, mediate stem-cell-niche signalling. These nanotubes carry receptors for sent by niche required transmission self-renewing cells.