Cited by 675Liver physiology and pathologyWnt/β-catenin signaling in development and cancerMesenchymal stem cell research

Self-renewing diploid Axin2+ cells fuel homeostatic renewal of the liver

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Wang, Bruce, Zhao, Ludan, Fish, Matt, Logan, Catriona Y., Nusse, Roel·2015·Nature

Abstract

The source of new hepatocytes in the uninjured liver has remained an open question. By lineage tracing using the Wnt-responsive gene Axin2 in mice, we identify a population of proliferating and self-renewing cells adjacent to the central vein in the liver lobule. These pericentral cells express the early liver progenitor marker Tbx3, are diploid, and thereby differ from mature hepatocytes, which are mostly polyploid. The descendants of pericentral cells differentiate into Tbx3-negative, polyploid hepatocytes, and can replace all hepatocytes along the liver lobule during homeostatic renewal. Adjacent central vein endothelial cells provide Wnt signals that maintain the pericentral cells, thereby constituting the niche. Thus, we identify a cell population in the liver that subserves homeostatic hepatocyte renewal, characterize its anatomical niche, and identify molecular signals that regulate its activity.

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Crossref · 10.1038/nature14863

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  • Recent studies have demonstrated that hepatocytes are primarily maintained by the proliferation of pre-existing hepatocytes during liver homeostasis and regeneration.

    “recent studies have demonstrated that hepatocytes are primarily maintained by the proliferation of pre-existing hepatocytes during liver homeostasis and regeneration14–19”

    From Multimodal decoding of human liver regeneration (2024) · cites this paper as [19]

    The Abstract reports that earlier lineage-tracing studies found new hepatocytes arise from pre-existing hepatocytes during homeostatic renewal. This paper’s own findings concern a self-renewing pericentral population in the uninjured liver; its Discussion does not establish that proliferation of pre-existing hepatocytes primarily maintains hepatocytes during regeneration. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • In mouse and human liver, Wnt ligands are produced by endothelial cells of central vein branches and nearby sinusoids.

    “In the mouse and human liver, Wnt ligands are produced by endothelial cells of the central vein branches and the nearby sinusoids (17–19)”

    From Wnt signaling regulates hepatocyte cell division by a transcriptional repressor cascade (2022) · cites this paper as [17]

    The Discussion reports Wnt9b expression in central-vein endothelial cells and Wnt2 expression in both central-vein and sinusoidal endothelial cells. The experiments described are in mice; our copy does not establish the same finding in human liver. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • In mouse and human liver, Wnt ligands are produced by endothelial cells of central vein branches and nearby sinusoids, creating a zonated expression pattern of Wnt target genes and key metabolic enzymes in pericentral hepatocytes.

    “In the mouse and human liver, Wnt ligands are produced by endothelial cells of the central vein branches and the nearby sinusoids (McEnerney et al. 2017;Wang et al. 2015;Zhao et al. 2019), creating a zonated expression pattern of Wnt target genes and key metabolic enzymes in pericentral hepatocytes (Halpern et al. 2017).”

    From Hepatocyte Cell Cycle Progression Depends on a Transcriptional Repressor Cascade Downstream of Wnt Signaling (2021) · cites this paper as Wang et al. 2015

    The “Central vein endothelium acts as a Wnt-producing niche” section reports Wnt2 and Wnt9b production by central-vein endothelial cells, and the Discussion specifies that Wnt2 is also expressed in sinusoidal endothelial cells. The experiments described are in mice; these passages do not establish the claim for human liver. The later zonation clause is attributed to a different citation, not to this paper. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Tbx3 is expressed in a zonated pattern during postnatal liver growth.

    “The transcriptional repressor Tbx3, a gene required for embryonic liver development (Khan et al. 2020;Ludtke et al. 2009;Suzuki et al. 2008), is also expressed in a zonated pattern during postnatal liver growth (fig.S1A) (Wang et al. 2015;Zhao et al. 2019).”

    From Hepatocyte Cell Cycle Progression Depends on a Transcriptional Repressor Cascade Downstream of Wnt Signaling (2021) · cites this paper as Wang et al. 2015

    The “Axin2+ cells self-renew” section reports that Tbx3 expression is confined to a single layer of pericentral cells, supporting zonated expression. The Methods identify the mice used for the Tbx3 in situ images as eight-week-old animals; the paper studies adult liver homeostasis, not expression during postnatal liver growth specifically. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Tbx3 is among the genes highly expressed in the pericentral zone.

    “Among the genes highly expressed in the pericentral zone is the transcriptional repressor Tbx3 (17, 19).”

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Authors
Wang, B., Zhao, L., Fish, M., Logan, C. Y., & Nusse, R.
Affiliations
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
Corresponding author
Wang, Bruce
Venue
Nature
Published
2015-08-05
Volume
524
Issue
7564
Pages
180-185
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W1628437161
Cited by
674
References
50
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 61 · 2022: 52 · 2021: 90 · 2020: 88 · 2019: 66 · 2018: 85 · 2017: 69 · 2016: 67 · 2015: 19
FWCI
47.42
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (K08DK101603, F32DK091005, P30DK026743)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hepatology › Liver physiology and pathology
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Wnt/β-catenin signaling in development and cancer
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Genetics › Mesenchymal stem cell research
Keywords
liver homeostasis, Axin2, Wnt signaling, TBX3, liver progenitor cells, polyploidy, self-renewal, stem cell niche, lineage tracing
MeSH terms
Animals, Clone Cells, Diploidy, Female, Homeostasis, Liver, Male, Polyploidy, Regeneration, Staining and Labeling, Stem Cells, Time Factors, Veins, Biomarkers, Cell Lineage, T-Box Domain Proteins, Hepatocytes, Endothelial Cells, Cell Proliferation, Mice, Stem Cell Niche, Wnt Signaling Pathway, Axin Protein

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