Integrin-ECM interactions and membrane-associated Catalase cooperate to promote resilience of the Drosophila intestinal epithelium

PLoS Biol. 2022 May 6;20(5):e3001635. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001635. eCollection 2022 May.

Abstract

Balancing cellular demise and survival constitutes a key feature of resilience mechanisms that underlie the control of epithelial tissue damage. These resilience mechanisms often limit the burden of adaptive cellular stress responses to internal or external threats. We recently identified Diedel, a secreted protein/cytokine, as a potent antagonist of apoptosis-induced regulated cell death in the Drosophila intestinal midgut epithelium during aging. Here, we show that Diedel is a ligand for RGD-binding Integrins and is thus required for maintaining midgut epithelial cell attachment to the extracellular matrix (ECM)-derived basement membrane. Exploiting this function of Diedel, we uncovered a resilience mechanism of epithelial tissues, mediated by Integrin-ECM interactions, which shapes cell death spreading through the regulation of cell detachment and thus cell survival. Moreover, we found that resilient epithelial cells, enriched for Diedel-Integrin-ECM interactions, are characterized by membrane association of Catalase, thus preserving extracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) balance to maintain epithelial integrity. Intracellular Catalase can relocalize to the extracellular membrane to limit cell death spreading and repair Integrin-ECM interactions induced by the amplification of extracellular ROS, which is a critical adaptive stress response. Membrane-associated Catalase, synergized with Integrin-ECM interactions, likely constitutes a resilience mechanism that helps balance cellular demise and survival within epithelial tissues.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Catalase / metabolism
  • Cell Adhesion
  • Drosophila* / metabolism
  • Epithelium / metabolism
  • Extracellular Matrix* / metabolism
  • Integrins / metabolism
  • Intestinal Mucosa / metabolism
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism

Substances

  • Integrins
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Catalase

Grants and funding

This work was in part supported by an American Federation for Aging Research Grant (to J.K., https://www.afar.org). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.