INTESTINAL CANCERS & DISEASES Boosting Apoptotic Cell Clearance by Colonic Epithelial Cells Attenuates Inflammation In Vivo In a colonic inflammation model, researchers noted that the expression of the phagocytic receptor Bai1 was progressively downmodulated. Consistent with this, BAI1-deficient mice had more pronounced colitis and lower survival, with many uncleared apoptotic corpses and inflammatory cytokines within the colonic epithelium. [Immunity] Abstract | Graphical Abstract Gut Microbiome-Derived Metabolites Modulate Intestinal Epithelial Cell Damage and Mitigate Graft-versus-Host Disease Scientists carried out an unbiased analysis to identify previously unidentified alterations in gastrointestinal microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) after allogeneic bone marrow transplant (allo-BMT). Alterations in the amount of only one SCFA, butyrate, were observed only in the intestinal tissue. The reduced butyrate in CD326+ intestinal epithelial cells after allo-BMT resulted in decreased histone acetylation, which was restored after local administration of exogenous butyrate. [Nat Immunol] Abstract Collagen-Rich Stroma in Aggressive Colon Tumors Induces Mesenchymal Gene Expression and Tumor Cell Invasion To separately study the neoplastic and stromal compartments of colon tumors, scientists generated a stroma gene filter. Comparative analysis of stromahigh and stromalow tumors showed that the neoplastic cells in stromahigh tumors express specific epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition drivers and that 98% of differentially expressed genes are strongly correlated with them. [Oncogene] Abstract Long Non-Coding RNA CASC11 Interacts with hnRNP-K and Activates the WNT/β-Catenin Pathway to Promote Growth and Metastasis in Colorectal Cancer The authors report that cancer susceptibility candidate 11 (CASC11) was upregulated in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues; increased CASC11 expression in CRC was associated with tumor size, serosal invasion, lymph metastasis, and the tumor-node-metastasis stage. [Cancer Lett] Abstract Epidermal Growth Factor Suppresses Intestinal Epithelial Cell Shedding via a MAPK Dependent Pathway Researchers showed that epidermal growth factor suppresses cell shedding in the intestinal epithelium through a selective, MAPK dependent pathway affecting multiple extrusion mechanisms. [J Cell Sci] Abstract Immunobiotic Bifidobacteria Strains Modulate Rotavirus Immune Response in Porcine Intestinal Epitheliocytes via Pattern Recognition Receptor Signaling Investigators aimed to characterize the antiviral response of an originally established porcine intestinal epithelial cell line by evaluating the molecular innate immune response to rotavirus. [PLoS One] Full Article INTESTINAL STEM CELL & ORGANOID RESEARCH LIG4 Mediates Wnt Signaling-Induced Radioresistance Researchers found that high Wnt signaling is associated with radioresistance in colorectal cancer cells and intestinal stem cells (ISCs). During radiation-induced intestinal regeneration, LIG4 mainly expressed in the crypts is conditionally upregulated in ISCs, accompanied by Wnt/β-catenin signaling activation. [Nat Commun] Full Article Taiman Acts as a Coactivator of Yorkie in the Hippo Pathway to Promote Tissue Growth and Intestinal Regeneration Investigators demonstrated that Taiman facilitates the activity of Yorkie. First, Taiman overexpression upregulated Hippo pathway-responsive genes and induced tissue overgrowth. Second, the loss of tai downregulated the expression of Hippo pathway target genes and reduced organ size as well as tissue overgrowth caused by Yorkie overexpression. [Cell Disc] Full Article A Systematic Analysis of Drosophila Regulatory Peptide Expression in Enteroendocrine Cells Researchers established a basis to study regulatory peptide functions in enteroendocrine cells as well as the complex organization of enteroendocrine cells in the Drosophila midgut. [Mol Cells] Abstract |