Browsing by Subject "5-hydroxytryptamine"

Intestinal stem cells maintain the regenerative potential of intestinal epithelium, which needs to be renewed constantly. Dysregulation of intestinal stem cell proliferation is associated with aging and intestinal diseases. The midgut of Drosophila melanogaster is a valuable model for studying intestinal stem cell driven tissue regeneration. It is similar in function to the mammalian small intestine but has a simpler cellular structure. Drosophila midgut is divided into five major regions with specialized physiological functions, characteristic morphological features and distinctive gene expression profiles. The midgut consists of a monolayer of absorptive enterocytes, small secreting enteroendocrine cells, intestinal stem cells and enteroblasts. Intestinal stem cells differentiate into enterocytes through a transient enteroblast phase. 5-hydroxytryptamine has been shown to activate proliferation of intestinal epithelium in mammals, but its mechanism of action is still unknown. Also, sex-specific differences in 5-hydroxytryptamine signalling have been recorded in mammals. 5-hydroxytryptamine signalling pathway has several downstream targets that have diverse downstream effect. Thus, 5-hydroxytryptamine signalling creates a complex and versatile regulatory network. The aim of my thesis is to study the effects of 5-hydroxytryptamine signalling on intestinal stem cell proliferation and cellular turnover in Drosophila midgut in both sexes. The effects of excessive amounts of 5-hydroxytryptamine are first studied by feeding Drosophila with 5-hydroxytryptophan, a product of the rate-limiting step in the 5-hydroxytryptamine synthesis pathway. The effects of 5-hydroxytryptamine signalling are further studied by knocking down and overexpressing a component of the 5-hydroxytryptamine signalling pathway in intestinal stem cells and enteroblasts. Dissected midguts are immunofluorescently stained, imaged and analysed both visually and with bioinformatics tools. The results indicate that 5-hydroxytryptamine signalling has both regional and sex-specific functions that affect intestinal stem cell proliferation and cellular turnover in Drosophila midgut. The most dramatic effects are seen in cellular turnover, which indicates that 5-hydroxytryptamine signalling plays a role in enteroblast differentiation. Furthermore, the results suggest that bidirectional signalling between enteroblasts and dying enterocytes facilitates cellular turnover in the midgut. As 5-hydroxytryptamine signalling is indicated in inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease, my results might help in the development of treatments for such conditions.