A ubiquitin network safeguards cell identity by continuously degrading a stem cell-related translational machinery.

Aging enterocytes in adult Drosophila melanogaster midgut reactivate a stem cell-related translational repression machinery, linked to Rogue/Orb2, dUSP22 decline, and CTLH complex clearance.

• Why it matters: Cell identity loss during aging is a hallmark of multiple age-related diseases, but the posttranscriptional mechanisms that fail in aging enterocytes remain unclear.
• What they did: Using single-cell RNA-seq with lineage tracing in aging ECs and classical genetics, the study shows dUSP22 and dUbcH8/Kdo–CTLH mediate degradation of stem cell-related RNA-binding proteins, while aging ectopically expresses Rogue.
• The result: Rogue binding to dUbcH8/Kdo and eEF2 transcripts shortens poly(A) tails, suppresses Kdo protein, accelerates proteasomal clearance of CTLH, reactivates P-bodies, and declines EC gene signatures.