The survival and fitness of multicellular organisms is tightly associated with their capacity to renew their tissues. This is particularly important for tissues that are permanently exposed to and challenged by the external environment, such as the epithelium, which lines the digestive tract. Researchers led by Professor Dr. Mirka Uhlirova from CECAD, the Cluster of Excellence for Aging Research at the University of Cologne collaborated with the laboratory of Dr. Tony Southall from Imperial College London to identify the transcription factor Ets21c as a vital regulator of the regenerative programme in the adult intestine of the fruit fly Drosophila. Moreover, their work highlighted the existence of trade-off mechanisms between stress resilience and longevity. The results have now been published in the journal Cell Reports.
* This article was originally published here
