Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Promotes Directed Migration of Intestinal Stem Cells to Sites of Injury

The study demonstrated that in the Drosophila intestinal epithelium, enteroendocrine cells played a crucial role in directing stem cell migration towards injury sites. Upon injury, these cells released the N-terminal domain of the PTK7 orthologue, Otk, which activated non-canonical Wnt signaling in intestinal stem cells. This activation promoted the formation of actin-based protrusions and facilitated stem cell migration towards the wound. The migratory behavior was closely linked to cell proliferation and was essential for efficient tissue repair. The findings underscored the importance of non-canonical Wnt signaling in intestinal epithelium regeneration and identified enteroendocrine cell-released ligands as key coordinators of stem cell migration.