Source: Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
Date: May 27, 2011
Summary:
Researchers of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch have discovered what enables embryonic stem cells to differentiate into diverse cell types and thus to be pluripotent. This pluripotency depends on a specific molecule -- E-cadherin -- hitherto primarily known for its role in mediating cell-cell adhesion as a kind of "intracellular glue." If E-cadherin is absent, the stem cells lose their pluripotency. The molecule also plays a crucial role in the reprogramming of somatic cells (body cells) into pluripotent stem cells. The research is published online in EMBO reports.
