Protective neutralizing antibodies from human survivors of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a World Health Organization priority pathogen. CCHFV infections cause a highly lethal hemorrhagic fever for which specific treatments and vaccines are urgently needed. Here, we characterize the human immune response to natural CCHFV infection to identify potent neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (nAbs) targeting the viral glycoprotein. Competition experiments showed that these nAbs bind six distinct antigenic sites in the Gc subunit. These sites were further delineated through mutagenesis and mapped onto a prefusion model of Gc. Pairwise screening identified combinations of non-competing nAbs that afford synergistic neutralization. Further enhancements in neutralization breadth and potency were attained by physically linking variable domains of synergistic nAb pairs through bispecific antibody (bsAb) engineering. Although multiple nAbs protected mice from lethal CCHFV challenge in pre- or post-exposure prophylactic settings, only a single bsAb, DVD-121-801, afforded therapeutic protection. DVD-121-801 is a promising candidate suitable for clinical development as a CCHFV therapeutic.

Intrinsically disordered domain of transcription factor TCF-1 is required for T cell developmental fidelity.

In development, pioneer transcription factors access silent chromatin to reveal lineage-specific gene programs. The structured DNA-binding domains of pioneer factors have been well characterized, but whether and how intrinsically disordered regions affect chromatin and control cell fate is unclear. Here, we report that deletion of an intrinsically disordered region of the pioneer factor TCF-1 (termed L1) leads to an early developmental block in T cells. The few T cells that develop from progenitors expressing TCF-1 lacking L1 exhibit lineage infidelity distinct from the lineage diversion of TCF-1-deficient cells. Mechanistically, L1 is required for activation of T cell genes and repression of GATA2-driven genes, normally reserved to the mast cell and dendritic cell lineages. Underlying this lineage diversion, L1 mediates binding of TCF-1 to its earliest target genes, which are subject to repression as T cells develop. These data suggest that the intrinsically disordered N terminus of TCF-1 maintains T cell lineage fidelity.

Methylation of histone H3 lysine 36 is a barrier for therapeutic interventions of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Approximately 20% of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) exhibit reduced methylation on lysine 36 of histone H3 (H3K36me) due to mutations in histone methylase NSD1 or a lysine-to-methionine mutation in histone H3 (H3K36M). Whether such alterations of H3K36me can be exploited for therapeutic interventions is still unknown. Here, we show that HNSCC models expressing H3K36M can be divided into two groups: those that display aberrant accumulation of H3K27me3 and those that maintain steady levels of H3K27me3. The former group exhibits reduced proliferation, genome instability, and heightened sensitivity to genotoxic agents like PARP1/2 inhibitors. Conversely, H3K36M HNSCC models with constant H3K27me3 levels lack these characteristics unless H3K27me3 is elevated by DNA hypomethylating agents or inhibiting H3K27me3 demethylases KDM6A/B. Mechanistically, H3K36M reduces H3K36me by directly impeding the activities of the histone methyltransferase NSD3 and the histone demethylase LSD2. Notably, aberrant H3K27me3 levels induced by H3K36M expression are not a bona fide epigenetic mark because they require continuous expression of H3K36M to be inherited. Moreover, increased sensitivity to PARP1/2 inhibitors in H3K36M HNSCC models depends solely on elevated H3K27me3 levels and diminishing BRCA1- and FANCD2-dependent DNA repair. Finally, a PARP1/2 inhibitor alone reduces tumor burden in a H3K36M HNSCC xenograft model with elevated H3K27me3, whereas in a model with consistent H3K27me3, a combination of PARP1/2 inhibitors and agents that up-regulate H3K27me3 proves to be successful. These findings underscore the crucial balance between H3K36 and H3K27 methylation in maintaining genome instability, offering new therapeutic options for patients with H3K36me-deficient tumors.

A hyper-quiescent chromatin state formed during aging is reversed by regeneration.

Epigenetic alterations are a key hallmark of aging but have been limitedly explored in tissues. Here, using naturally aged murine liver as a model and extending to other quiescent tissues, we find that aging is driven by temporal chromatin alterations that promote a refractory cellular state and compromise cellular identity. Using an integrated multi-omics approach and the first direct visualization of aged chromatin, we find that globally, old cells show H3K27me3-driven broad heterochromatinization and transcriptional suppression. At the local level, site-specific loss of H3K27me3 over promoters of genes encoding developmental transcription factors leads to expression of otherwise non-hepatocyte markers. Interestingly, liver regeneration reverses H3K27me3 patterns and rejuvenates multiple molecular and physiological aspects of the aged liver.

CpG island reconfiguration for the establishment and synchronization of polycomb functions upon exit from naive pluripotency.

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are essential for post-implantation development by depositing repressive histone modifications at promoters, mainly CpG islands (CGIs), of developmental regulator genes. However, promoter PcG marks are erased after fertilization and de novo established in peri-implantation embryos, coinciding with the transition from naive to primed pluripotency. Nevertheless, the molecular basis for this establishment remains unknown. In this study, we show that the expression of the long KDM2B isoform (KDM2BLF), which contains the demethylase domain, is specifically induced at peri-implantation and that its H3K36me2 demethylase activity is required for PcG enrichment at CGIs. Moreover, KDM2BLF interacts with BRG1/BRM-associated factor (BAF) and stabilizes BAF occupancy at CGIs for subsequent gain of accessibility, which precedes PcG enrichment. Consistently, KDM2BLF inactivation results in significantly delayed post-implantation development. In summary, our data unveil dynamic chromatin configuration of CGIs during exit from naive pluripotency and provide a conceptual framework for the spatiotemporal establishment of PcG functions.

Quantitative subcellular acyl-CoA analysis reveals distinct nuclear metabolism and isoleucine-dependent histone propionylation.

Quantitative subcellular metabolomic measurements can explain the roles of metabolites in cellular processes but are subject to multiple confounding factors. We developed stable isotope labeling of essential nutrients in cell culture-subcellular fractionation (SILEC-SF), which uses isotope-labeled internal standard controls that are present throughout fractionation and processing to quantify acyl-coenzyme A (acyl-CoA) thioesters in subcellular compartments by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. We tested SILEC-SF in a range of sample types and examined the compartmentalized responses to oxygen tension, cellular differentiation, and nutrient availability. Application of SILEC-SF to the challenging analysis of the nuclear compartment revealed a nuclear acyl-CoA profile distinct from that of the cytosol, with notable nuclear enrichment of propionyl-CoA. Using isotope tracing, we identified the branched chain amino acid isoleucine as a major metabolic source of nuclear propionyl-CoA and histone propionylation, thus revealing a new mechanism of crosstalk between metabolism and the epigenome.

Epigenetic dysregulation from chromosomal transit in micronuclei.

Chromosomal instability (CIN) and epigenetic alterations are characteristics of advanced and metastatic cancers1-4, but whether they are mechanistically linked is unknown. Here we show that missegregation of mitotic chromosomes, their sequestration in micronuclei5,6 and subsequent rupture of the micronuclear envelope7 profoundly disrupt normal histone post-translational modifications (PTMs), a phenomenon conserved across humans and mice, as well as in cancer and non-transformed cells. Some of the changes in histone PTMs occur because of the rupture of the micronuclear envelope, whereas others are inherited from mitotic abnormalities before the micronucleus is formed. Using orthogonal approaches, we demonstrate that micronuclei exhibit extensive differences in chromatin accessibility, with a strong positional bias between promoters and distal or intergenic regions, in line with observed redistributions of histone PTMs. Inducing CIN causes widespread epigenetic dysregulation, and chromosomes that transit in micronuclei experience heritable abnormalities in their accessibility long after they have been reincorporated into the primary nucleus. Thus, as well as altering genomic copy number, CIN promotes epigenetic reprogramming and heterogeneity in cancer.

Characterization of the intracellular neurexin interactome by in vivo proximity ligation suggests its involvement in presynaptic actin assembly.

Neurexins are highly spliced transmembrane cell adhesion molecules that bind an array of partners via their extracellular domains. However, much less is known about the signaling pathways downstream of neurexin's largely invariant intracellular domain (ICD). Caenorhabditis elegans contains a single neurexin gene that we have previously shown is required for presynaptic assembly and stabilization. To gain insight into the signaling pathways mediating neurexin's presynaptic functions, we employed a proximity ligation method, endogenously tagging neurexin's intracellular domain with the promiscuous biotin ligase TurboID, allowing us to isolate adjacent biotinylated proteins by streptavidin pull-down and mass spectrometry. We compared our experimental strain to a control strain in which neurexin, endogenously tagged with TurboID, was dispersed from presynaptic active zones by the deletion of its C-terminal PDZ-binding motif. Selection of this control strain, which differs from the experimental strain only in its synaptic localization, was critical to identifying interactions specifically occurring at synapses. Using this approach, we identified both known and novel intracellular interactors of neurexin, including active zone scaffolds, actin-binding proteins (including almost every member of the Arp2/3 complex), signaling molecules, and mediators of RNA trafficking, protein synthesis and degradation, among others. Characterization of mutants for candidate neurexin interactors revealed that they recapitulate aspects of the nrx-1(-) mutant phenotype, suggesting they may be involved in neurexin signaling. Finally, to investigate a possible role for neurexin in local actin assembly, we endogenously tagged its intracellular domain with actin depolymerizing and sequestering peptides (DeActs) and found that this led to defects in active zone assembly. Together, these results suggest neurexin's intracellular domain may be involved in presynaptic actin-assembly, and furthermore highlight a novel approach to achieving high specificity for in vivo proteomics experiments.

H1 histones control the epigenetic landscape by local chromatin compaction.

H1 linker histones are the most abundant chromatin-binding proteins1. In vitro studies indicate that their association with chromatin determines nucleosome spacing and enables arrays of nucleosomes to fold into more compact chromatin structures. However, the in vivo roles of H1 are poorly understood2. Here we show that the local density of H1 controls the balance of repressive and active chromatin domains by promoting genomic compaction. We generated a conditional triple-H1-knockout mouse strain and depleted H1 in haematopoietic cells. H1 depletion in T cells leads to de-repression of T cell activation genes, a process that mimics normal T cell activation. Comparison of chromatin structure in normal and H1-depleted CD8+ T cells reveals that H1-mediated chromatin compaction occurs primarily in regions of the genome containing higher than average levels of H1: the chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) B compartment and regions of the Hi-C A compartment marked by PRC2. Reduction of H1 stoichiometry leads to decreased H3K27 methylation, increased H3K36 methylation, B-to-A-compartment shifting and an increase in interaction frequency between compartments. In vitro, H1 promotes PRC2-mediated H3K27 methylation and inhibits NSD2-mediated H3K36 methylation. Mechanistically, H1 mediates these opposite effects by promoting physical compaction of the chromatin substrate. Our results establish H1 as a critical regulator of gene silencing through localized control of chromatin compaction, 3D genome organization and the epigenetic landscape.

Histone Acetyltransferase p300 Induces De Novo Super-Enhancers to Drive Cellular Senescence.

Accumulation of senescent cells during aging contributes to chronic inflammation and age-related diseases. While senescence is associated with profound alterations of the epigenome, a systematic view of epigenetic factors in regulating senescence is lacking. Here, we curated a library of short hairpin RNAs for targeted silencing of all known epigenetic proteins and performed a high-throughput screen to identify key candidates whose downregulation can delay replicative senescence of primary human cells. This screen identified multiple new players including the histone acetyltransferase p300 that was found to be a primary driver of the senescent phenotype. p300, but not the paralogous CBP, induces a dynamic hyper-acetylated chromatin state and promotes the formation of active enhancer elements in the non-coding genome, leading to a senescence-specific gene expression program. Our work illustrates a causal role of histone acetyltransferases and acetylation in senescence and suggests p300 as a potential therapeutic target for senescence and age-related diseases.

Fibroblast Smad7 Induction Protects the Remodeling Pressure-Overloaded Heart.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac fibroblast activation contributes to adverse remodeling, fibrosis, and dysfunction in the pressure-overloaded heart. Although early fibroblast TGF-ß (transforming growth factor-ß)/Smad (small mother against decapentaplegic)-3 activation protects the pressure-overloaded heart by preserving the matrix, sustained TGF-ß activation is deleterious, accentuating fibrosis and dysfunction. Thus, endogenous mechanisms that negatively regulate the TGF-ß response in fibroblasts may be required to protect from progressive fibrosis and adverse remodeling. We hypothesized that Smad7, an inhibitory Smad that restrains TGF-ß signaling, may be induced in the pressure-overloaded myocardium and may regulate fibrosis, remodeling, and dysfunction. METHODS: The effects of myofibroblast-specific Smad7 loss were studied in a mouse model of transverse aortic constriction, using echocardiography, histological analysis, and molecular analysis. Proteomic studies in S7KO (Smad7 knockout) and overexpressing cells were used to identify fibroblast-derived mediators modulated by Smad7. In vitro experiments using cultured cardiac fibroblasts, fibroblasts populating collagen lattices, and isolated macrophages were used to dissect the molecular signals responsible for the effects of Smad7. RESULTS: Following pressure overload, Smad7 was upregulated in cardiac myofibroblasts. TGF-ß and angiotensin II stimulated fibroblast Smad7 upregulation via Smad3, whereas GDF15 (growth differentiation factor 15) induced Smad7 through GFRAL (glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor family receptor α-like). MFS7KO (myofibroblast-specific S7KO) mice had increased mortality, accentuated systolic dysfunction and dilative remodeling, and accelerated diastolic dysfunction in response to transverse aortic constriction. Increased dysfunction in MFS7KO hearts was associated with accentuated fibrosis and increased MMP (matrix metalloproteinase)-2 activity and collagen denaturation. Secretomic analysis showed that Smad7 loss accentuates secretion of structural collagens and matricellular proteins and markedly increases MMP2 secretion. In contrast, Smad7 overexpression reduced MMP2 levels. In fibroblasts populating collagen lattices, the effects of Smad7 on fibroblast-induced collagen denaturation and pad contraction were partly mediated via MMP2 downregulation. Surprisingly, MFS7KO mice also exhibited significant macrophage expansion caused by paracrine actions of Smad7 null fibroblasts that stimulate macrophage proliferation and fibrogenic activation. Macrophage activation involved the combined effects of the fibroblast-derived matricellular proteins CD5L (CD5 antigen-like), SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine), CTGF (connective tissue growth factor), ECM1 (extracellular matrix protein 1), and TGFBI (TGFB induced). CONCLUSIONS: The antifibrotic effects of Smad7 in the pressure-overloaded heart protect from dysfunction and involve not only reduction in collagen deposition but also suppression of MMP2-mediated matrix denaturation and paracrine effects that suppress macrophage activation through inhibition of matricellular proteins.

RNA polymerase II promotes the organization of chromatin following DNA replication.

Understanding how chromatin organisation is duplicated on the two daughter strands is a central question in epigenetics. In mammals, following the passage of the replisome, nucleosomes lose their defined positioning and transcription contributes to their re-organisation. However, whether transcription plays a greater role in the organization of chromatin following DNA replication remains unclear. Here we analysed protein re-association with newly replicated DNA upon inhibition of transcription using iPOND coupled to quantitative mass spectrometry. We show that nucleosome assembly and the re-establishment of most histone modifications are uncoupled from transcription. However, RNAPII acts to promote the re-association of hundreds of proteins with newly replicated chromatin via pathways that are not observed in steady-state chromatin. These include ATP-dependent remodellers, transcription factors and histone methyltransferases. We also identify a set of DNA repair factors that may handle transcription-replication conflicts during normal transcription in human non-transformed cells. Our study reveals that transcription plays a greater role in the organization of chromatin post-replication than previously anticipated.

KDM5-mediated transcriptional activation of ribosomal protein genes alters translation efficiency to regulate mitochondrial metabolism in neurons.

Genes encoding the KDM5 family of transcriptional regulators are disrupted in individuals with intellectual disability (ID). To understand the link between KDM5 and ID, we characterized five Drosophila strains harboring missense alleles analogous to those observed in patients. These alleles disrupted neuroanatomical development, cognition and other behaviors, and displayed a transcriptional signature characterized by the downregulation of many ribosomal protein genes. A similar transcriptional profile was observed in KDM5C knockout iPSC-induced human glutamatergic neurons, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved role for KDM5 proteins in regulating this class of gene. In Drosophila, reducing KDM5 changed neuronal ribosome composition, lowered the translation efficiency of mRNAs required for mitochondrial function, and altered mitochondrial metabolism. These data highlight the cellular consequences of altered KDM5-regulated transcriptional programs that could contribute to cognitive and behavioral phenotypes. Moreover, they suggest that KDM5 may be part of a broader network of proteins that influence cognition by regulating protein synthesis.

Advances in proteomics methods for the analysis of exhaled breath condensate.

The analysis of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) demonstrates a promising avenue of minimally invasive biopsies for diagnostics. EBC is obtained by cooling exhaled air and collecting the condensation to be utilized for downstream analysis using various analytical methods. The aqueous phase of breath contains a large variety of miscible small compounds including polar electrolytes, amino acids, cytokines, chemokines, peptides, small proteins, metabolites, nucleic acids, and lipids/eicosanoids-however, these analytes are typically present at minuscule levels in EBC, posing a considerable technical challenge. Along with recent improvements in devices for breath collection, the sensitivity and resolution of liquid chromatography coupled to online mass spectrometry-based proteomics has attained subfemtomole sensitivity, vastly enhancing the quality of EBC sample analysis. As a result, proteomics analysis of EBC has been expanding the field of breath biomarker research. We present an au courant overview of the achievements in proteomics of EBC, the advancement of EBC collection devices, and the current and future applications for EBC biomarker analysis.

Genomic and Proteomic Resolution of Heterochromatin and Its Restriction of Alternate Fate Genes.

Heterochromatin is integral to cell identity maintenance by impeding the activation of genes for alternate cell fates. Heterochromatic regions are associated with histone 3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) or H3K27me3, but these modifications are also found in euchromatic regions that permit transcription. We discovered that resistance to sonication is a reliable indicator of the heterochromatin state, and we developed a biophysical method (gradient-seq) to discriminate subtypes of H3K9me3 and H3K27me3 domains in sonication-resistant heterochromatin (srHC) versus euchromatin. These classifications are more accurate than the histone marks alone in predicting transcriptional silence and resistance of alternate fate genes to activation during direct cell conversion. Our proteomics of H3K9me3-marked srHC and functional screens revealed diverse proteins, including RBMX and RBMXL1, that impede gene induction during cellular reprogramming. Isolation of srHC with gradient-seq provides a genome-wide map of chromatin structure, elucidating subtypes of repressed domains that are uniquely predictive of diverse other chromatin properties.

Identification of Nidogen 1 as a lung metastasis protein through secretome analysis.

Secreted proteins play crucial roles in mediating tumor-stroma interactions during metastasis of cancer to different target organs. To comprehensively profile secreted proteins involved in lung metastasis, we applied quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics and identified 392 breast cancer-derived and 302 melanoma-derived proteins secreted from highly lung metastatic cells. The cancer-specific lung metastasis secretome signatures (LMSSs) displayed significant prognostic value in multiple cancer clinical data sets. Moreover, we observed a significant overlap of enriched pathways between the LMSSs of breast cancer and melanoma despite an overall small overlap of specific proteins, suggesting that common biological processes are executed by different proteins to enable the two cancer types to metastasize to the lung. Among the novel candidate lung metastasis proteins, Nidogen 1 (NID1) was confirmed to promote lung metastasis of breast cancer and melanoma, and its expression is correlated with poor clinical outcomes. In vitro functional analysis further revealed multiple prometastatic functions of NID1, including enhancing cancer cell migration and invasion, promoting adhesion to the endothelium and disrupting its integrity, and improving vascular tube formation capacity. As a secreted prometastatic protein, NID1 may be developed as a new biomarker for disease progression and therapeutic target in breast cancer and melanoma.

Human cord plasma proteomic analysis reveals sexually dimorphic proteins associated with intrauterine growth restriction.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic disease later in life and has been shown to affect female and male offspring differently, but the mechanisms remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to identify proteomic differences and metabolic risk markers in IUGR male and female neonates when compared to appropriate for gestational age (AGA) babies that will provide a better understanding of IUGR pathogenesis and its associated risks. Our results revealed alterations in IUGR cord plasma proteomes with most of the differentially abundant proteins implicated in peroxisome pathways. This effect was evident in females but not in males. Furthermore, we observed that catalase activity, a peroxisomal enzyme, was significantly increased in females (p < 0.05) but unchanged in males. Finally, we identified risk proteins associated with obesity, type-2 diabetes, and glucose intolerance such as EGF containing fibulin extracellular matrix protein 1 (EFEMP1), proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and transforming growth factor beta receptor 3 (TGFBR3) proteins unique to females while coagulation factor IX (C9) and retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) are unique in males. In conclusion, IUGR may display sexual dimorphism which may be associated with differences in lifelong risk for cardiometabolic disease between males and females.

The role of histone H3 lysine demethylases in glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain tumor in adults with an average survival of 15-18 months. Part of its malignancy derives from epigenetic regulation that occurs as the tumor develops and after therapeutic treatment. Specifically, enzymes involved in removing methylations from histone proteins on chromatin, i.e., lysine demethylases (KDMs), have a significant impact on GBM biology and reoccurrence. This knowledge has paved the way to considering KDMs as potential targets for GBM treatment. For example, increases in trimethylation of histone H3 on the lysine 9 residue (H3K9me3) via inhibition of KDM4C and KDM7A has been shown to lead to cell death in Glioblastoma initiating cells. KDM6 has been shown to drive Glioma resistance to receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors and its inhibition decreases tumor resistance. In addition, increased expression of the histone methyltransferase MLL4 and UTX histone demethylase are associated with prolonged survival in a subset of GBM patients, potentially by regulating histone methylation on the promoter of the mgmt gene. Thus, the complexity of how histone modifiers contribute to glioblastoma pathology and disease progression is yet to be fully understood. To date, most of the current work on histone modifying enzymes in GBM are centered upon histone H3 demethylase enzymes. In this mini-review, we summarize the current knowledge on the role of histone H3 demethylase enzymes in Glioblastoma tumor biology and therapy resistance. The objective of this work is to highlight the current and future potential areas of research for GBM epigenetics therapy.

Effect of dynamic exclusion and the use of FAIMS, DIA and MALDI-mass spectrometry imaging with ion mobility on amyloid protein identification.

Amyloidosis is a disease characterized by local and systemic extracellular deposition of amyloid protein fibrils where its excessive accumulation in tissues and resistance to degradation can lead to organ failure. Diagnosis is challenging because of approximately 36 different amyloid protein subtypes. Imaging methods like immunohistochemistry and the use of Congo red staining of amyloid proteins for laser capture microdissection combined with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LMD/LC-MS/MS) are two diagnostic methods currently used depending on the expertise of the pathology laboratory. Here, we demonstrate a streamlined in situ amyloid peptide spatial mapping by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MALDI-MSI) combined with Trapped Ion Mobility Spectrometry for potential transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis subtyping. While we utilized the standard LMD/LC-MS/MS workflow for amyloid subtyping of 31 specimens from different organs, we also evaluated the potential introduction in the MS workflow variations in data acquisition parameters like dynamic exclusion, or testing Data Dependent Acquisition combined with High-Field Asymmetric Waveform Ion Mobility Spectrometry (DDA FAIMS) versus Data Independent Acquisition (DIA) for enhanced amyloid protein identification at shorter acquisition times. We also demonstrate the use of Mascot's Error Tolerant Search and PEAKS de novo sequencing for the sequence variant analysis of amyloidosis specimens.

Autophagic state prospectively identifies facultative stem cells in the intestinal epithelium.

The intestinal epithelium exhibits a rapid and efficient regenerative response to injury. Emerging evidence supports a model where plasticity of differentiated cells, particularly those in the secretory lineages, contributes to epithelial regeneration upon ablation of injury-sensitive stem cells. However, such facultative stem cell activity is rare within secretory populations. Here, we ask whether specific functional properties predict facultative stem cell activity. We utilize in vivo labeling combined with ex vivo organoid formation assays to evaluate how cell age and autophagic state contribute to facultative stem cell activity within secretory lineages. Strikingly, we find that cell age (time elapsed since cell cycle exit) does not correlate with secretory cell plasticity. Instead, high autophagic vesicle content predicts plasticity and resistance to DNA damaging injury independently of cell lineage. Our findings indicate that autophagic status prior to injury serves as a lineage-agnostic marker for the prospective identification of facultative stem cells.