中国科学院分子细胞科学卓越创新中心周斌课题组，利用增殖示踪技术揭示了肝脏稳态和修复过程中区域性肝细胞的来源。相关论文于2021年2月26日发表于国际学术期刊《科学》。

在这项工作中，研究人员通过整合双重重组酶研发了一种遗传操作系统[proliferation tracer（ProTracer）]，其可无缝记录整个细胞群体随时间推移在多个器官中的增殖事件。在小鼠肝脏中，ProTracer在肝脏动态平衡、损伤修复和再生的长时间内检测到更多的肝细胞在不同区域增殖。

克隆分析表明，ProTracer标记的大多数肝细胞都已发生细胞分裂。通过遗传记录整个细胞群体的增殖事件，ProTracer可以无偏倚地检测出具有强再生能力的特定细胞群体。

研究人员表示，时间和空间调控的细胞增殖对于器官稳态至关重要。通常依赖于细胞群子集谱系示踪技术来鉴定具有强增殖能力的细胞，但这也会引入潜在的选择性偏倚问题。

附：英文原文

Title: Proliferation tracing reveals regional hepatocyte generation in liver homeostasis and repair

Author: Lingjuan He, Wenjuan Pu, Xiuxiu Liu, Zhenqian Zhang, Maoying Han, Yi Li, Xiuzhen Huang, Ximeng Han, Yan Li, Kuo Liu, Mengyang Shi, Liang Lai, Ruilin Sun, Qing-Dong Wang, Yong Ji, Jan S. Tchorz, Bin Zhou

Issue&Volume: 2021/02/26

Abstract: Organ homeostasis is orchestrated by time- and spatially restricted cell proliferation. Studies identifying cells with superior proliferative capacities often rely on the lineage tracing of a subset of cell populations, which introduces a potential selective bias. In this work, we developed a genetic system [proliferation tracer (ProTracer)] by incorporating dual recombinases to seamlessly record the proliferation events of entire cell populations over time in multiple organs. In the mouse liver, ProTracer revealed more hepatocyte proliferation in distinct zones during liver homeostasis, injury repair, and regrowth. Clonal analysis showed that most of the hepatocytes labeled by ProTracer had undergone cell division. By genetically recording proliferation events of entire cell populations, ProTracer enables the unbiased detection of specific cellular compartments with enhanced regenerative capacities.

DOI: 10.1126/science.abc4346

Source: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/371/6532/eabc4346