Frequency encoding regulates cell type composition in the small intestine.

Oscillatory Hes1 expression frequency in intestinal crypts regulates cell type composition along the crypt-villus axis.

• Why it matters: Understanding how signaling dynamics influence cell fate decisions is crucial for comprehending intestinal homeostasis and potential regenerative therapies.
• What they did: The study used an endogenous fluorescent Hes1 reporter to observe cell type-specific oscillation frequencies and developed a microfluidic system to modulate Notch-signaling oscillations in organoids.
• The result: Modulating oscillation frequency was shown to regulate the balance of absorptive and secretory cell types, suggesting that cell fate information is encoded in oscillatory signal frequency.