Cholangiocytes contribute to hepatocyte regeneration after partial liver injury during growth spurt in zebrafish.

ABSTRACT: The liver's regenerative ability depends on injury extent. Minor injuries are repaired by hepatocyte self-duplication, while severe damage triggers cholangiocyte involvement in hepatocyte recovery. This paradigm is well-documented for adult animals but is less explored during rapid growth. We design two partial liver injury models in zebrafish, which were investigated during growth spurts: 1) partial ablation, killing half the hepatocytes; and 2) partial hepatectomy, removing half a liver lobe. In both injuries, de novo hepatocytes emerged alongside existing ones. Single-cell transcriptomics and lineage tracing with Cre-driver lines generated by genome editing identified cholangiocytes as the source of de novo hepatocytes. We further identify active mTORC1 signalling in the uninjured liver

SUBMITTER: Eski SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12144294 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature