Genetic regulation of programmed cell death in Drosophila.
Programmed cell death plays an important role in maintaining homeostasis during animal development, and has been conserved in animals as different as nematodes and humans. Recent studies of Drosophila have provided valuable information toward our understanding of genetic regulation of death. Different signals trigger the novel death regulators rpr, hid, and grim, that utilize the evolutionarily conserved iap and ark genes to modulate caspase function. Subsequent removal of dying cells also appears to be accomplished by conserved mechanisms. The similarity between Drosophila and human in cell death signaling pathways illustrate the promise of fruit flies as a model system to elucidate the mechanisms underlying regulation of programmed cell death.
Lee
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Center for Agricultural Biotechnology, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park 20742, USA.
Baehrecke
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D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D004330:Drosophila / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics*
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C108880:HID protein, Drosophila; D009479:Neuropeptides; C108881:grim protein, Drosophila; D020169:Caspases