part of part of develops from tuft cell intestinal crypt stem cell intestinal epithelial cell intestinal tuft cell 2020-10-15T12:47:46Z https://cellxgene.cziscience.com/cellguide/CL_0019032 https://cdn.humanatlas.io/digital-objects/2d-ftu/large-intestine-crypt-lieberkuhn/v1.2/assets/2d-ftu-large-intestine-crypt-lieberkuhn.png intestinal brush cell Intestinal tuft cells, also known as brush cells, are specialized epithelial cells found in the lining of the intestines. Their name stems from their distinctive morphology, characterized by a thick ‘tuft’, or brush-like, peak of long, tapering microvilli which project into the intestinal lumen. These cells impart a structural characteristic to the epithelium of the intestine, aiding in its function and interaction with the surrounding environment. Their abundance among the gastrointestinal tract varies but they are most commonly found in the small intestine. The primary function of intestinal tuft cells is to act as chemosensory sentinels, assisting in monitoring and responding to luminal factors. They possess a highly potent sensing mechanism, facilitated by a diverse set of receptors, such as the bitter taste receptor family and succinate receptor, and a complex signaling apparatus. These sensory capabilities enable them to initiate crucial immune responses to a variety of physiological stimuli, including parasites and bacteria. Evidence suggests that tuft cells perform a critical role in maintaining gut homeostasis and in initiating type 2 immunity against parasite infection. Moreover, intestinal tuft cells are also involved in regulating intestinal epithelial cell homeostasis and contributing to the regeneration and repair of epithelial tissue following damage. They produce several growth factors and cytokines which play essential roles in these processes. Despite being one of the least common cell types in the gut, the role of tuft cells in sensing, immunity and tissue regulation underlines their importance in maintaining gastrointestinal health. (This extended description was generated by ChatGPT and reviewed by the CellGuide team, who added references, and by the CL editors, who approved it for inclusion in CL. It may contain information that applies only to some subtypes and species, and so should not be considered definitional.) A tuft cell that is part of the intestinal epithelium, characterized by a distinctive apical tuft and lateral cytospinules connecting to neighbouring cells. This cell senses luminal stimuli via taste receptors and succinate signalling, initiating type 2 immune responses through the secretion of interleukin-25 while modulating epithelial regeneration through prostaglandin synthesis. It expresses key molecular markers such as doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) in mice (Hendel et al., 2022), and KIT proto-oncogene in humans (Huang et al., 2024). Developed from intestinal crypt stem cells, this cell requires transcription factor POU2F3 for its development. Homo sapiens intestinal epithelium