Authors
Abhinav Sur, Ella X Segal, Michael P Nunneley, Jason W Sinclair, Morgan Kathleen Prochaska, Louis E Dye, Yalan Wu, Liezhen Fu, Yun-Bo Shi, James Iben, Benjamin Feldman, Jeffrey A Farrell
Published in
Genes & development. Aug 07, 2026. Epub Aug 07, 2026.
Abstract
best4 + cells are a recently described vertebrate intestinal epithelial cell type. best4 + cells are altered in inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer, suggesting that stimulation of their homeostatic replenishment may have therapeutic potential. However, the development and function of best4 + cells remain unclear. Since mice lack best4 + cells, we established zebrafish as a tractable in vivo model to observe, manipulate, and remove best4 + cells in an organismal context. We dissected best4 + cell developmental regulation in vivo from birth to differentiation and specialization, focusing on factors conserved in best4 + cells across vertebrates. Lineage tracing demonstrated that best4 + cells arise from secretory progenitors, where Notch/Dll4 signaling mediates a decision between best4 + and enterochromaffin cells by triggering meis1b expression. Following specification by meis1b, pbx3a spatially diversifies best4 + cells, which develop regional heterogeneity in gene expression, intracellular pH, and function. In vivo live imaging and removal of best4 + cells showed that best4+ cells sense luminal pH changes and extend dynamic luminal and stromal projections, but are not required to restore global luminal pH after challenge. Altogether, this study experimentally delineates best4 + cell developmental regulation and develops a genetic toolkit to examine their function in vivo, both of which will aid investigating how best4 + cells are altered or can be restored during disease.
PMID:
42567676
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 08 Aug 2026.
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