Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Ayaka Sasaki, Takashi Nishimura, Tomomi Takano, Saki Naito, Sa Kan Yoo
Summary: The study demonstrates that the white gene plays a crucial role in regulating intestinal stem cell proliferation during ageing through folate metabolism. Inhibition of white gene expression suppresses over-proliferation of stem cells and extends lifespan, indicating its potential as a therapeutic target for age-related tissue dysregulation. Metabolomics analyses further reveal the profound metabolic impacts of white gene inhibition on organismal metabolism, providing valuable insights into the regulation of stem cells by this classic gene.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aiguo Tian, Virginia Morejon, Sarah Kohoutek, Yi-Chun Huang, Wu-Min Deng, Jin Jiang
Summary: In the Drosophila intestine, infection with pathogenic bacteria induces enteroblasts (ISC progenies) to enter the mitotic cycle through upregulation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-Ras signaling pathway. The regenerative ISCs are produced through mitosis of enteroblasts, which do not gain ISC identity before dividing.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sandy Al Hayek, Ahmad Alsawadi, Zakaria Kambris, Jean-Philippe Boquete, Jerome Bohere, Clement Immarigeon, Brice Ronsin, Serge Plaza, Bruno Lemaitre, Francois Payre, Dani Osman
Summary: The research uncovers a cell-intrinsic role of the OvoL family transcription factor Shavenbaby (Svb) in balancing self-renewal and differentiation of Drosophila intestinal stem cells, mediated by the downstream target of Wnt and EGFR pathways. The switch between Svb repressor and activator is triggered by systemic steroid hormone, adjusting stem cell proliferation versus differentiation and suggesting a broad role of OvoL/Svb in adult and cancer stem cells.
Article
Cell Biology
Hiroki Nagai, Luis Augusto Eijy Nagai, Sohei Tasaki, Ryuichiro Nakato, Daiki Umetsu, Erina Kuranaga, Masayuki Miura, Yuichiro Nakajima
Summary: Nutrient fluctuation induces dedifferentiation in Drosophila adult midgut and drives adaptive intestinal growth by converting enteroendocrine cells into functional intestinal stem cells.
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel Jun-Kit Hu, Jina Yun, Justin Elstrott, Heinrich Jasper
Summary: The study demonstrates that enteroendocrine cells coordinate stem cell migration towards sites of injury in the Drosophila intestine by activating non-canonical Wnt signaling. This coordination is crucial for efficient tissue repair during injury.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Laura E. Sanman, Ina W. Chen, Jake M. Bieber, Veronica Steri, Coralie Trentesaux, Byron Hann, Ophir D. Klein, Lani F. Wu, Steven J. Altschuler
Summary: By investigating the responses of intestinal epithelium to different signaling pathways, it was found that modulation of transit-amplifying cell proliferation can change the ratio of differentiated cell types, highlighting the important role of transit-amplifying cells in tuning differentiated cell-type composition.
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yael Dagan, Yarden Yesharim, Ashley R. Bonneau, Tamar Frankovits, Schraga Schwartz, Peter W. Reddien, Omri Wurtzel
Summary: m6A plays a critical role in the regulation of gene expression and chromatin modifications, contributing to the homeostasis and regeneration of planarian stem cells.
Article
Cell Biology
Xiaoru Shao, Zhong Hu, Yuxi Zhan, Wenjuan Ma, Li Quan, Yunfeng Lin
Summary: Delivery systems with time and space control have promising applications in tissue regeneration. A novel micro-RNA delivery system was constructed to promote osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells by activating the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. The addition of this complex significantly improved the osteogenic differentiation ability of mesenchymal stem cells, enhancing the expression of ALP on the cell membrane surface and the formation of calcium nodules.
CELL PROLIFERATION
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Qi Xu, Jun Liu, Xiao Du, Di Xue, Dong Li, Xiaolin Bi
Summary: This study identifies a long noncoding RNA, CR46040, that plays a crucial role in injury-induced intestinal stem cell (ISC) regeneration in Drosophila. Loss of CR46040 significantly impairs ISC proliferation in response to tissue damage caused by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) treatment. Mechanistically, CR46040 regulates ISC proliferation by modulating the activation of JNK, JAK/STAT, and HIPPO signaling pathways.
Review
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Kodandaramireddy Nalapareddy, Yi Zheng, Hartmut Geiger
Summary: The intestine relies on stem cell function for maintaining tissue homeostasis. Aging results in changes to the intestinal architecture and a decline in the regenerative capacity of the intestine, mainly due to a decline in intestinal stem cell function. This review summarizes the mechanisms of aging in intestinal stem cells and their connection to extrinsic factors, and introduces recent approaches to attenuate or revert the aging process.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nicolette M. Johnson, Louis R. Parham, Jeeyoon Na, Keara E. Monaghan, Hannah M. Kolev, Alena Klochkova, Melissa S. Kim, Charles H. Danan, Zvi Cramer, Lauren A. Simon, Kaitlyn E. Naughton, Stephanie Adams-Tzivelekidis, Yuhua Tian, Patrick A. Williams, N. Adrian Leu, Simone Sidoli, Kelly A. Whelan, Ning Li, Christopher J. Lengner, Kathryn E. Hamilton
Summary: The intestinal epithelium shows a quick and efficient regenerative response to injury. Research suggests that high autophagic vesicle content in secretory cells predicts cell plasticity and resistance to DNA damaging injury, regardless of cell age.
Review
Cell Biology
Jingbo Zhai, Wanyang Li, Xin Liu, Di Wang, Dongli Zhang, Yanli Liu, Xiuwen Liang, Zeliang Chen
Summary: The fly midgut provides a valuable tool for answering key questions regarding intestinal stem cell niche establishment, asymmetric division of stem cells, interaction of intestinal cells with environmental factors, and screening of factors or drugs related to aging/cancer.
CELL BIOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Vangelis Bonis, Carla Rossell, Helmuth Gehart
Summary: The single-layered, simple epithelium of the gastrointestinal tract plays a crucial role in nutrient uptake, metabolism coordination, and pathogen defense. Advances in single-cell sequencing, spatio-temporal profiling, and organoid technology have revealed the complex micro-structure of the intestinal epithelium and the mechanisms that maintain it. Recent studies have also explored the distinct structure of the underlying mesenchyme and its crucial interactions with the epithelium for intestinal function and regeneration.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Jaymin J. Kathiriya, Chaoqun Wang, Minqi Zhou, Alexis Brumwell, Monica Cassandras, Claude Jourdan Le Saux, Max Cohen, Kostantinos-Dionysios Alysandratos, Bruce Wang, Paul Wolters, Michael Matthay, Darrell N. Kotton, Harold A. Chapman, Tien Peng
Summary: The study reveals that human alveolar type 2 cells can transdifferentiate into basal cells in response to fibrotic signaling, driving the pathology associated with severe lung injuries. Aberrant mesenchyme plays a crucial role in the lineage trajectory leading to the expansion of alveolar metaplastic basal cells.
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Pablo Coronel-Cordoba, M. Dolores Molina, Gemma Cardona, Susanna Fraguas, Eudald Pascual-Carreras, Emili Salo, Francesc Cebria, Teresa Adell
Summary: Fox genes, including the less characterized FoxK genes, play important roles in controlling various cellular processes. A recent study identified three foxK paralogs in the genome of Schmidtea mediterranea, showing that foxK1 inhibition affects regeneration of ectodermal tissues by influencing apoptosis. These results suggest that foxK1 is required for differentiation and maintenance of ectodermal tissues in planarians.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sandy Al Hayek, Ahmad Alsawadi, Zakaria Kambris, Jean-Philippe Boquete, Jerome Bohere, Clement Immarigeon, Brice Ronsin, Serge Plaza, Bruno Lemaitre, Francois Payre, Dani Osman
Summary: The research uncovers a cell-intrinsic role of the OvoL family transcription factor Shavenbaby (Svb) in balancing self-renewal and differentiation of Drosophila intestinal stem cells, mediated by the downstream target of Wnt and EGFR pathways. The switch between Svb repressor and activator is triggered by systemic steroid hormone, adjusting stem cell proliferation versus differentiation and suggesting a broad role of OvoL/Svb in adult and cancer stem cells.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Michael Gerth, Humberto Martinez-Montoya, Paulino Ramirez, Florent Masson, Joanne S. Griffin, Rodolfo Aramayo, Stefanos Siozios, Bruno Lemaitre, Mariana Mateos, Gregory D. D. Hurst
Summary: Studies have shown that Spiroplasma has a rapid evolutionary rate, high substitution rate, significant genomic structural differences, and the absence of mismatch repair loci may contribute to the elevated substitution rates. Different Spiroplasma lineages exhibit dynamic evolution in their morphology, and loci similar to the malekilling toxin Spaid have been identified in various Spiroplasma strains and other endosymbionts.
MICROBIAL GENOMICS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bianca Petrignani, Samuel Rommelaere, Ketty Hakim-Mishnaevski, Florent Masson, Elodie Ramond, Reut Hilu-Dadia, Mickael Poidevin, Shu Kondo, Estee Kurant, Bruno Lemaitre
Summary: This study reveals the crucial role of the Nimrod family member NimB4 in the clearance of apoptotic cells in Drosophila, particularly in phagosome maturation, possibly through binding to apoptotic corpses to engage a phagosome maturation program dedicated to efferocytosis.
Article
Microbiology
A. Marra, M. A. Hanson, S. Kondo, B. Erkosar, B. Lemaitre
Summary: This study demonstrates that the immune effectors, antimicrobial peptides, and lysozymes actively regulate the composition and abundance of gut microbiota in fruit flies. Loss of these immune effectors exacerbates during aging, leading to increased microbiota abundance and shifted composition in aged flies. The findings suggest that immune effectors, known for resistance against pathogens, also influence the beneficial gut community composition.
Article
Microbiology
Mark Austin Hanson, Lianne B. Cohen, Alice Marra, Igor Iatsenko, Steven A. Wasserman, Bruno Lemaitre
Summary: The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster produces a variety of effector peptides to combat microbial infection, including a novel antifungal peptide gene named Baramicin A. This gene is strongly induced in the fat body downstream of the Toll pathway and plays a key role in the antimicrobial response of the fruit fly.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Alexia L. Carboni, Mark A. Hanson, Scott A. Lindsay, Steven A. Wasserman, Bruno Lemaitre
Summary: Cecropins are small helical secreted peptides with antimicrobial activity that play an important role in host defense. Experimental studies have shown that Cecropins play a role in defense against Gram-negative bacteria and fungi in fruit flies.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Florent Masson, Xavier Pierrat, Bruno Lemaitre, Alexandre Persat
Summary: A rigid cell wall defines bacteria morphology, but wall-less Spiroplasma have five homologs of MreB. Research shows that these homologs play a key role in forming a polymeric cytoskeleton in shaping the cell.
Article
Biology
Xinyi Liu, Shuzhen Yang, Yuan Yao, Si Wu, Pa Wu, Zongzhao Zhai
Summary: This study reveals that mosquitoes consistently prefer darker environments and identifies the first example of a visual molecule that modulates mosquito photobehavior.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Dan Deng, Shisi Xing, Xuxiang Liu, Qinge Ji, Zongzhao Zhai, Wei Peng
Summary: Sexual dimorphism in insects has significant impacts on evolutionary path, and is largely influenced by sex-biased genes. This study conducted transcriptome profiling and gene expression analysis on the devastating crop pest Drosophila suzukii to explore the sex-biased genes associated with sexual dimorphism and sexual development. The researchers identified genes involved in sex-specific physiological and functional processes. They found that a large number of genes were differentially expressed between males and females, and that the spliceosome pathway was predominantly enriched. The study provides valuable information for understanding the molecular mechanisms of sexual dimorphism and developing genetic sexing strains for pest control.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Leli Wang, Qihang Liu, Yuwei Chen, Xinlei Zheng, Chuni Wang, Yining Qi, Yachao Dong, Yue Xiao, Cang Chen, Taohong Chen, Qiuyun Huang, Zongzhao Zhai, Cimin Long, Huansheng Yang, Jianzhong Li, Lei Wang, Gaihua Zhang, Peng Liao, Yong-Xin Liu, Peng Huang, Jialu Huang, Qiye Wang, Huanhuan Chu, Jia Yin, Yulong Yin
Summary: A study identified a potentially probiotic strain of Pediococcus in sow milk that confers antioxidant capacity by activating the Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway in piglets. The findings provide useful resources for understanding the relationship between maternal microbiota and offspring.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Florent Masson, Samuel Rommelaere, Fanny Schupfer, Jean-Philippe Boquete, Bruno Lemaitre
Summary: The abundance and amino acid composition of a protein called Spiralin B (SpiB) plays a crucial role in the nutritional interactions between insects and their endosymbionts. Increasing SpiB levels disrupts the localization of endosymbionts in insect eggs and decreases vertical transmission. This protein ensures the durability of the interaction in a variable environment.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biology
M. A. Hanson, S. Kondo, B. Lemaitre
Summary: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play a crucial role in defending against infection in plants and animals. A study on Drosophila has revealed that the Drosocin gene encodes two prominent host defense peptides with different specificities against distinct pathogens.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Mark Hanson, Bruno Lemaitre
Summary: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are host-encoded antibiotics that not only combat invading pathogens, but also have roles in neurological contexts. The evolutionary history of Baramicin genes reveals how they have adapted for either immune-specific or neurological roles, providing a case study for how AMP-encoding genes might play dual roles in both immune and non-immune processes via their multiple peptide products.
Article
Cell Biology
Mark A. Hanson, Bruno Lemaitre
Summary: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play important roles in host defense and have been implicated in the clearance of aberrant cells and neurodegenerative syndromes. AMPs are produced in Drosophila downstream of Toll and Imd NF-κB pathways and have antimicrobial properties. Aging leads to upregulation of AMPs, potentially contributing to age-associated inflammatory diseases. However, the individual effects of AMPs on lifespan have been inconclusive. In this study, the researchers found no significant effect of individual AMPs on lifespan, except for Defensin. However, flies lacking seven AMP gene families displayed a reduced lifespan due to microbiome dysbiosis, and germ-free conditions extended their lifespan. Overall, AMPs collectively impact lifespan by preventing dysbiosis during aging.
DISEASE MODELS & MECHANISMS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. A. Hanson, L. Grollmus, B. Lemaitre
Summary: Antimicrobial peptides, encoded by the host, play a crucial role in combating pathogens and shaping the microbiome in plants and animals. This study focuses on the Diptericin antimicrobial peptide family of Diptera and reveals the specific roles of DptA and DptB in Drosophila melanogaster, demonstrating how they interact with different bacteria. The findings also highlight the correlation between the presence of DptA- or DptB-like genes and the presence of specific bacteria across Diptera.
