Essential role for autophagy protein ATG7 in the maintenance of intestinal stem cell integrity.

ABSTRACT: The intestinal epithelium acts as a barrier between the organism and its microenvironment, including the gut microbiota. It is the most rapidly regenerating tissue in the human body thanks to a pool of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) expressing Lgr5 The intestinal epithelium has to cope with continuous stress linked to its digestive and barrier functions. Epithelial repair is crucial to maintain its integrity, and Lgr5-positive intestinal stem cell (Lgr5⁺ISC) resilience following cytotoxic stresses is central to this repair stage. We show here that autophagy, a pathway allowing the lysosomal degradation of intracellular components, plays a crucial role in the maintenance and genetic integrity of Lgr5⁺ISC under physiological and stress conditions. Using conditional

SUBMITTER: Trentesaux C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7245075 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature