Abstract
During chronic injury a population of bipotent hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) become activated to regenerate both cholangiocytes and hepatocytes. Here we show in human diseased liver and mouse models of the ductular reaction that Notch and Wnt signaling direct specification of HPCs via their interactions with activated myofibroblasts or macrophages. In particular, we found that during biliary regeneration, expression of Jagged 1 (a Notch ligand) by myofibroblasts promoted Notch signaling in HPCs and thus their biliary specification to cholangiocytes. Alternatively, during hepatocyte regeneration, macrophage engulfment of hepatocyte debris induced Wnt3a expression. This resulted in canonical Wnt signaling in nearby HPCs, thus maintaining expression of Numb (a cell fate determinant) within these cells and the promotion of their specification to hepatocytes. By these two pathways adult parenchymal regeneration during chronic liver injury is promoted.
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Change history
15 March 2012
In the version of this article initially published online, the last sentence of the abstract incorrectly stated the study focused on a process involved in the recovery from acute liver injury when, in fact, chronic liver injury was meant. The error has been corrected for all versions of this article.
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Acknowledgements
Clodronate (Cl2MDP) was a gift of Roche Diagnostics (Mannheim, Germany). Thanks to R. Aucott (UK Medical Research Council (MRC)/University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research) for the donation of mouse hepatic fibroblasts. Krt19CreERT mice were a kind gift from G. Gu (Vanderbilt University), and the Ctnnb1ΔEx3 strain was provided by O. Sansom (The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow). S.J.F. is supported by the MRC, Sir Jules Thorn Trust and Wellcome Trust; L.G.B. is funded through an MRC project grant and was supported through an MRC studentship.
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L.B., O.G., T.G.B., P.R. and A.P. designed experiments and generated data, J.P.I., S.L., T.R. and S.J.F. designed experiments; S.S.S. generated the three-dimensional images; N.V.R. generated and supplied the clodronate liposomes; S.R., R.A.R. and B.S. generated data; L.B. and O.G. analyzed the data; L.B. prepared the manuscript; O.J.S., J.P.I., S.L., T.R. and S.J.F. edited the manuscript; J.P.I., T.R. and S.J.F. provided experimental funding.
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Boulter, L., Govaere, O., Bird, T. et al. Macrophage-derived Wnt opposes Notch signaling to specify hepatic progenitor cell fate in chronic liver disease. Nat Med 18, 572–579 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.2667
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.2667
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