Research

Imaginal Disc Regeneration

Regeneration requires surviving cells to mount a response that promotes localized proliferation and repatterning to replace lost and damaged tissue. In Drosophila, the larval imaginal discs regenerate through the formation of a blastema, a zone of localized cell proliferation and increased cellular plasticity.

Critical genetic program for Drosophila imaginal disc regeneration revealed by single-cell analysis


  • Identified two regeneration-specific cell populations within the blastema. They are each composed of cells that upregulate multiple genes encoding secreted proteins that promote regeneration.

  • The transcription factor Ets21C controls the expression of multiple regeneration-promoting genes in this regenerative secretory zone.


  • Ets21C-dependent gene regulatory network is necessary for effective regeneration.