β-catenin对胚胎干细胞自我更新与多能性调控的研究进展

Progress in studies on the role of β-catenin in regulating the self-renewal and pluripotency of embryonic stem cells

胚胎干细胞来源于胚胎发育过程中的囊胚内细胞团,是再生医学研究中的"种子细胞",具有自我更新能力和多能性。这种特性受到多种信号通路的调控,其中Wnt/β-catenin信号通路在此调控过程中发挥着十分重要的作用。β-catenin是一种多功能蛋白,是Wnt/β-catenin信号通路中的开关分子,其参与的调控网络在时间和空间上调控胚胎干细胞自我更新和向三胚层分化的能力。因此,明确β-catenin对胚胎干细胞自我更新与多能性的调控机制,能够为胚胎干细胞的研究和应用提供有益的借鉴。

Embryonic stem cells（ESCs） is one of the best cell types for regenerative medicine. It is derived from inner cell mass of the blastocyst stage and characterized by self-renewal and pluripotency,which are regulated by kinds of signal molecules, such as the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.β-catenin is a multifunctional protein and plays a key role in Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.β-catenin involves self-renewal of ESCs and promotes the differentiation of ESCs into three primary germ layers in space and time. Elucidating the mechanisms of β-catenin in regulating the selfrenewal and pluripotency of ESCs will pave the way to use it in research and application.