Commensal microbiota-induced redox signaling activates proliferative signals in the intestinal stem cell microenvironment.

A distinct taxon of the Drosophila microbiota, Lactobacillus plantarum, is capable of stimulating the generation of reactive oxygen species within cells, and inducing epithelial cell proliferation. Here, we show that microbial-induced generation within Drosophila larval stem cell compartments exhibits a distinct spatial distribution. Lactobacilli-induced duanyu1670 is strictly excluded from defined midgut compartments that harbor adult midgut progenitor (AMP) cells, forming a functional sheltered zone' (RSZ). The RSZ is undiscernible in germ-free larvae, but forms following monocolonization with L. plantarumL. plantarum is a strong activator of the CncC/Nrf2 signaling pathway within enterocytes. Enterocyte-specific activation of CncC stimulated the proliferation of AMPs, which demonstrates that pro-proliferative signals are transduced from enterocytes to AMPs. Mechanistically, we show that the cytokine Upd2 is expressed in the gut following L. plantarum colonization in a CncC-dependent fashion, and may function in lactobacilli-induced AMP proliferation and intestinal tissue growth and development.

KEYWORDS: {{ getKeywords(articleDetailText.words) }}