Li Song, Wang Hongyan, Groth Casper
*Neuroscience & Behavioral Disorders Programme, Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School Singapore, 8 College Road, Singapore 169857, Singapore.
Biosci Rep. 2014 Jul 29;34(4):e00125. doi: 10.1042/BSR20140008.
Drosophila larval brain stem cells (neuroblasts) have emerged as an important model for the study of stem cell asymmetric division and the mechanisms underlying the transformation of neural stem cells into tumour-forming cancer stem cells. Each Drosophila neuroblast divides asymmetrically to produce a larger daughter cell that retains neuroblast identity, and a smaller daughter cell that is committed to undergo differentiation. Neuroblast self-renewal and differentiation are tightly controlled by a set of intrinsic factors that regulate ACD (asymmetric cell division). Any disruption of these two processes may deleteriously affect the delicate balance between neuroblast self-renewal and progenitor cell fate specification and differentiation, causing neuroblast overgrowth and ultimately lead to tumour formation in the fly. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms underlying Drosophila neural stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. Furthermore, we highlight emerging evidence in support of the notion that defects in ACD in mammalian systems, which may play significant roles in the series of pathogenic events leading to the development of brain cancers.
果蝇幼虫脑干干细胞（神经母细胞）已成为研究干细胞不对称分裂以及神经干细胞转变为形成肿瘤的癌症干细胞背后机制的重要模型。每个果蝇神经母细胞进行不对称分裂，产生一个保留神经母细胞身份的较大子细胞，以及一个致力于分化的较小子细胞。神经母细胞的自我更新和分化受到一组调节不对称细胞分裂（ACD）的内在因子的严格控制。这两个过程的任何破坏都可能有害地影响神经母细胞自我更新与祖细胞命运决定和分化之间的微妙平衡，导致神经母细胞过度生长并最终在果蝇中引发肿瘤形成。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了果蝇神经干细胞自我更新和分化的潜在机制。此外，我们强调了新出现的证据，支持哺乳动物系统中不对称细胞分裂缺陷可能在导致脑癌发生的一系列致病事件中起重要作用这一观点。
