“Adult fruit flies also have stem cells that regulate cell adjustments in their intestines just like humans” a group of scientists reported on December 7.
According to scientists at the Carnegie Institute: This research is crucial for understanding digestive disorders, including certain cancers, and is beneficial for developing therapeutic treatments.
“Fruit flies have a genetic assembly process in their intestines similar to that of humans,” said Benjamin Ohlstein, the lead researcher.
Insects also have a basic structure in their gastrointestinal tract similar to that of vertebrates. They possess a mouth, esophagus, and organs akin to a stomach, small intestine, and large intestine.
The scientists studied the small intestine of fruit flies, where food is broken down and converted into nutrients for absorption by the body. They focused on two types of cells – the cells located between the small and large intestines in a single layer that assist in breaking down and transporting food molecules, known as enterocytes, and hormone-producing cells that regulate stomach activity as well as the development and differentiation of the intestine (enteroendocrine cells).
In vertebrates, intestinal cells are continuously replenished by stem cells.
To investigate whether stem cells are active in the intestines of fruit flies, the scientists “marked” these two types of cells and tracked the formation of metabolic cells. They discovered that these cell types are replenished by stem cells just as in vertebrates. Furthermore, similar to vertebrates, these stem cells can differentiate into various cell types.
The scientists also found significant signals indicating that fruit flies regulate the formation of intestinal cells like humans. These signals also direct their stem cells.