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Review
. 2021 Dec 9:9:801507.
doi: 10.3389/fcell.2021.801507. eCollection 2021.

Septins in Stem Cells

Tanja Schuster  1 , Hartmut Geiger  1
Affiliations
Review

Septins in Stem Cells

Tanja Schuster et al. Front Cell Dev Biol. .

Abstract

Septins were first described in yeast. Due to extensive research in non-yeast cells, Septins are now recognized across all species as important players in the regulation of the cytoskeleton, in the establishment of polarity, for migration, vesicular trafficking and scaffolding. Stem cells are primarily quiescent cells, and this actively maintained quiescent state is critical for proper stem cell function. Equally important though, stem cells undergo symmetric or asymmetric division, which is likely linked to the level of symmetry found in the mother stem cell. Due to the ability to organize barriers and be able to break symmetry in cells, Septins are thought to have a significant impact on organizing quiescence as well as the mode (symmetric vs asymmetric) of stem cell division to affect self-renewal versus differentiation. Mechanisms of regulating mammalian quiescence and symmetry breaking by Septins are though still somewhat elusive. Within this overview article, we summarize current knowledge on the role of Septins in stem cells ranging from yeast to mice especially with respect to quiescence and asymmetric division, with a special focus on hematopoietic stem cells.

Keywords: Borg; Cdc42; HSC; aging; polarity; septin; stem cells; yeast.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Septin behavior in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). (A) Change in Cdc42-Borg4-Sept7 axis upon aging. Interaction of Borg4 with Sept7 is shifted upon aging according to elevated activity level of Cdc42 to interaction of Cdc42 with Borg4. (B) Change in protein distribution of Sept7 upon aging: Elevated Cdc42 activity leads to a more apolar distribution. (C) Interaction of Septins among themselves. Sept7 and Sept2 don’t show same distribution. The Septin Network is more complex and demands further studies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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