Abstract
The maternal liver undergoes dramatic enlargement to adapt to the increased metabolic demands during pregnancy. However, the cellular sources for liver growth during pregnancy remain largely elusive. Here, we employed a proliferation recording system, ProTracer, to examine the spatial-temporal proliferation of hepatocytes during pregnancy. We discovered that during early to late pregnancy, hepatocyte proliferation initiated from zone 1, to zone 2, and lastly to zone 3, with the majority of new hepatocytes being generated in zone 2. Additionally, using single-cell RNA sequencing, we observed that Ccnd1 was highly enriched in zone 2 hepatocytes. We further applied dual-recombinase-mediated genetic lineage tracing to reveal that Ccnd1+ hepatocytes expanded preferentially during pregnancy. Moreover, we demonstrated that estrogen induces liver enlargement during pregnancy, which was abolished in Ccnd1 knockout mice. Our work revealed a unique spatial-temporal hepatocyte proliferation pattern during pregnancy, with Ccnd1+ hepatocytes in zone 2 serving as the major cellular source for hepatic enlargement.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
