Model invertebrates articles from across Nature Portfolio

Kim et al. discover a subset of neurons that innervate the Drosophila intestine and act as postprandial taste-independent sensors for sodium, directing a behavioural preference for sodium following salt deprivation.

Extracellular vesicles are fundamental in cellular communication. Here, authors show how C. elegans pheromones regulate vesicle production, showcasing the impact of social behaviors on cellular mechanisms.

The mechanisms underlying cell plasticity remain poorly understood. Here, Guo et.al discover that intestinal cells in the fly gut can alter their fates through the loss of a single gene, and identify several molecular barriers to cell reprogramming.

Intestinal physiology requires a balance between stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. Here, the authors show that this balance is regulated epigenetically by a dynamic relationship between the evolutionarily conserved PRC2, miR-8 and Notch signaling.

Sirtuins remove post-translationally added acyl groups from protein lysines. New work shows the surprising metabolic fate of acyl groups removed from mitochondrial proteins—they react nonenzymatically with essential polyamine spermidine, forming previously unknown monoacylated N-glutarylspermidines and diacylated N-glutaryl,N-acetylspermidines.

Animals need to be able to evaluate environmental pH. Mechanisms that mediate sour taste and acid sensing have been reported across species, but less is known about the detection of high pH. Mi et al. identify the gene alkaliphile, which encodes a high-pH-gated chloride channel in the gustatory system of flies.

Harvester ants live in desert grasslands and eat seeds. Colonies manage water stress by regulating foraging using olfactory interactions between outgoing and returning foragers. A long-term study in New Mexico shows how this collective behavior is evolving in drought conditions.

Unbiased metabolomics revealed the conversion of serotonin into N-acetylserotonin-derived glucosides by an intestinal carboxylesterase in Caenorhabditis elegans, which suggests an unappreciated role of the gut in modulating 5-HT signaling.