title: grim, a novel cell death gene in Drosophila.
abstract: A genomic interval at 75C1,2 is required for programmed cell death in Drosophila. We identified a new activator of apoptosis, grim, which maps between two previously identified cell death genes in this region reaper (rpr) and head involution defective (hid). Expression of grim RNA coincided with the onset of programmed cell death at all stages of embryonic development, whereas ectopic induction of grim triggered extensive apoptosis in both transgenic animals and in cell culture. Cell killing by grim was blocked by coexpression of p35, a viral product that inactivates ICE-like proteases, and did not require the functions of rpr or hid. The predicted grim protein shares an amino-terminal motif in common with rpr. However, grim was sufficient to elicit apoptosis in at least one context, where rpr was not. The grim gene product might thus function in a parallel circuit of cell death signaling that ultimately activates a common set of downstream apoptotic effectors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235-9039, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nordstrom
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gish
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Abrams
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004330:Drosophila / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017344:Genes, Insect; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics; D010455:Peptides / Q000235:genetics; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D010455:Peptides; D014764:Viral Proteins; C108881:grim protein, Drosophila; C086430:inhibitor of apoptosis, Nucleopolyhedrovirus; C086973:rpr protein, Drosophila; D012313:RNA