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Stem cells

Harvest in the right season

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 9, page 185 (2008)Cite this article

...the mobilization of HSCs follows a physiologically regulated circadian rhythm.

While investigating the mechanism of enforced HSC mobilization by the growth factor granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G–CSF), Paul Frenette and colleagues observed that the continuous exposure of mice to light could significantly affect HSC mobilization. Thus, a light-induced signal could influence the release of HSCs from the bone marrow. This unexpected finding led the authors to investigate the circadian pattern of HSC release and its role in homeostasis. Under normal conditions, HSCs do not circulate steadily or randomly but undergo precise circadian fluctuations, which can be altered by changes in the light–dark cycle, such as a 'jet lag' or the exposure of animals to continuous light. The authors also observed that expression of the Cxcl12 gene, which encodes a chemokine that attracts HSCs to the bone marrow, mirrored the oscillations in HSCs. These findings suggest that the decrease in Cxcl12 expression could be necessary for the rhythmic mobilization of HSCs.

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References

ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Méndez-Ferrer, S., Lucas, D., Battista, M. & Frenette, P. S. Haematopoietic stem cell release is regulated by circadian oscillations. Nature 6 Feb 2008 (doi:10.1038/nature06685)

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FURTHER READING

  1. Roenneberg, T. & Merrow, M. Circadian clocks — the fall and rise of physiology. Nature Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 6, 965–971 (2005)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

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Authors
  1. Francesca Cesari
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Cesari, F. Harvest in the right season. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 9, 185 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm2355

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm2355

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