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Identifier |
000402052 |
Title |
The role of e(z) in intestinal stem cell homeostasis and tissue repair in Drosophila melanogaster |
Alternative Title |
Ο ρόλος του επιγενετικού παράγοντα e(z) στην ομοιόσταση των εντερικών βλαστικών κυττάρων και την εντερική ανάπλαση της Drosophila melanogaster |
Author
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Ρήγα, Αμαλία
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Thesis advisor
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Ηλιόπουλος, Αριστείδης
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Reviewer
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Καμπράνης, Σωτήριος
Δελιδάκης, Χρήστος
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Abstract |
The intestinal epithelium represents the most vigorously renewing tissue in adult mammals and its proper function requires a balance between the removing of the dead cells and the producing of new cells of the tissue. Intestinal homeostasis is a procedure of high significance while impaired tissue regeneration leads to inflammatory disease and cancer. This replenish-ment of the lost cells is realized by intestinal cells that are responsible for both generating new enterocytes and the retaining of the stem cell pool. It has been proposed that intestinal stem cells found in the mammalian intestinal crypts are cells-of-origin of colorectal cancer. Further-more, there is considerable evidence that genetic and environmental factors act in concert with epigenetic mechanisms to regulate stem cell dynamics. Since experimental manipulation of adult mammalian intestinal stem cells remains challenging, we use Drosophila as a model system to study the involvement of epigenetics in intestinal stem cell function. By performing a small scale in vivo RNAi screen we have identified the polycomb group gene, enhancer of zeste (e(z)), a homologue of mammalian EZH2, as a potent regulator of intestinal stem cells. Study-ing further its role in tissue homeostasis, we show that e(z) controls intestinal stem cell re-newal capacity and may also impact the differentiation of transient progenitor cells, the en-teroblasts.
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Language |
English |
Subject |
Epigenetics |
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Intestinal regeneration |
Issue date |
2016-07-19 |
Collection
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School/Department--School of Medicine--Department of Medicine--Post-graduate theses
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Type of Work--Post-graduate theses
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Views |
198 |