Regulation of Drosophila intestinal stem cell maintenance and differentiation by the transcription factor Escargot.

ABSTRACT: Tissue stem cells divide to self-renew and generate differentiated cells to maintain homeostasis. Although influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, the genetic mechanisms coordinating the decision between self-renewal and initiation of differentiation remain poorly understood. The escargot (esg) gene encodes a transcription factor that is expressed in stem cells in multiple tissues in Drosophila melanogaster, including intestinal stem cells (ISCs). Here, we demonstrate that Esg plays a pivotal role in intestinal homeostasis, maintaining the stem cell pool while influencing fate decisions through modulation of Notch activity. Loss of esg induced ISC differentiation, a decline in Notch activity in daughter enteroblasts (EB), and an increase in differentiated enteroendocrine (EE) c

SUBMITTER: Loza-Coll MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4282644 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature