A body-brain circuit that regulates body inflammatory responses.

The body-brain axis is emerging as a principal conductor of organismal physiology. It senses and controls organ function, metabolism and nutritional state. Here we show that a peripheral immune insult strongly activates the body-brain axis to regulate immune responses.

Gut-liver axis calibrates intestinal stem cell fitness.

The gut and liver are recognized to mutually communicate through the biliary tract, portal vein, and systemic circulation. However, it remains unclear how this gut-liver axis regulates intestinal physiology. Through hepatectomy and transcriptomic and proteomic profiling, we identified pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), a liver-derived soluble Wnt inhibitor, which restrains intestinal stem cell (ISC) hyperproliferation to maintain gut homeostasis by suppressing the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

IL-36γ is secreted through an unconventional pathway using the Gasdermin D and P2X7R membrane pores.

Mucosal innate immunity functions as the first line of defense against invading pathogens. Members of the IL-1 family are key cytokines upregulated in the inflamed mucosa. Inflammatory cytokines are regulated by limiting their function and availability through their activation and secretion mechanisms.

Evaluation and Quantification of Micro Epithelial Gaps in the Colonic Mucosa using Immunofluorescence Staining.

Epithelial cells lining the intestinal mucosa create a physical barrier that separates the luminal content from the interstitium. Epithelial barrier impairment has been associated with the development of various pathologies such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). In the inflamed mucosa, superficial erosions or micro-erosions that corrupt epithelial monolayers correspond to sites of high permeability.

Rictor/Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Complex 2 Signaling Protects Colonocytes from Apoptosis and Prevents Epithelial Barrier Breakdown.

Epithelial barrier impairment is a hallmark of several pathologic processes in the gut, including inflammatory bowel diseases. Several intracellular signals prevent apoptosis in intestinal epithelial cells. Herein, we show that in colonocytes, rictor/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2) signaling is a prosurvival stimulus.

Cystathionine β-synthase Deficiency Impairs Vision in the Fruit Fly, .

Purpose: Deficiency in Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) leads to an abnormal accumulation of homocysteine and results in classical homocystinuria, a multi-systemic disorder that affects connective tissue, muscles, the central nervous system, and the eyes. However, the genetic players and mechanisms underlying vision alterations in patients with homocystinuria are little understood.

Materials And Methods: The fruit fly, , is a useful system to investigate the genetic basis of several human diseases, but no study to date has used Drosophila as model of homocystinuria.