Although the regulatory network of G2/M phase transition has been intensively studied in mammalian cell lines, the identification of morphological and molecular markers to identify G2/M phase transition in vivo remains elusive. In this study, we found no obvious morphological changes between the S phase and G2 phase in mice intestinal epithelial cells. The G2 phase could be identified by Brdu incorporation resistance, marginal and scattered foci of histone H3 phosphorylated at Ser10 (pHH3), and relatively intact Golgi ribbon. Prophase starts with nuclear transformation in situ, which was identified by a series of prophase markers including nuclear translocation of cyclinB1, fragmentation of the Golgi complex, and a significant increase in pHH3. The nucleus started to move upwards in the late prophase and finally rounded up at the apical surface. Then, metaphase was initiated as the level of pHH3 peaked. During anaphase and telophase, pHH3 sharply decreased, while Ki67 was obviously bound to chromosomes, and PCNA was distributed throughout the whole cell. Based on the aforementioned markers and Brdu pulse labeling, it was estimated to take about one hour for most crypt cells to go through the G2 phase and about two hours to go through the G2-M phase. It took much longer for crypt base columnar (CBC) stem cells to undergo G2-prophase than rapid transit amplifying cells. In summary, a series of sequentially presenting markers could be used to indicate the progress of G2/M events in intestinal epithelial cells and other epithelial systems in vivo.
Keywords: G2 phase duration; G2/M phase; Intestinal epithelium; histone H3 phosphorylation; nuclear transformation and migration.