Identification of a histone acetyltransferase as a novel regulator of Drosophila intestinal stem cells

One of the major challenges in stem cell research is to decipher the controlling mechanisms/genes of stem cell homeostasis. Through an RNAi mediated genetic screen of living animals, we identified an evolutionarily conserved histone acetyltransferase Atac2 as a novel regulator of Drosophila intestinal stem cells (ISCs). Expression of Atac2-RNAi or a dominant negative allele of Atac2 generated more ISCs, while excessive Atac2 or a histone deacetylase inhibitor promoted ISC differentiation without affecting ISC survival or lineage specification. These findings extend our knowledge of epigenetic mechanisms in stem cell regulation.