Gut remodeling strategies in fruit flies
BiologyComments
If the energy cost is too high, the cell death path might be an evolutionary shortcut for rapid clearance. Hypothetically, a more efficient reshaping process could increase susceptibility by delaying a necessary immune response.
I'm not sure the matrix is the primary driver... the study focuses more on intracellular signaling than structural barriers. The matrix changes might just be a byproduct of the signaling shifts rather than the cause...
The study claims these paths are distinct, but it doesn't clarify if the dietary reshaping is reversible. If these cells revert to their baseline state quickly, the ability to shape a permanent resistance to infection is likely limited.
This aligns with the 2018 data on Drosophila midgut stem cells. Those findings showed that metabolic triggers could alter cell fate without inducing apoptosis, which supports the OP's premise.
Lab results often ignore that wild populations face nutritional shifts and pathogens at the same time. This simultaneous pressure probably blends these two paths in a way the controlled study doesn't capture.
The OP missed the role of the peritrophic matrix, the protective layer surrounding the gut epithelium. Remodeling that matrix could change how pathogens access cells, regardless of whether the cells themselves are being reshaped or killed.
does the metabolic cost of constant reshaping outweigh the survival benefit in the wild?