A role for wingless in an early pupal cell death event that contributes to patterning the Drosophila eye.
Programmed cell death (PCD) is utilized in a wide variety of tissues to refine structure in developing tissues and organs. However, little is understood about the mechanisms that, within a developing epithelium, combine signals to selectively remove some cells while sparing essential neighbors. One popular system for studying this question is the developing Drosophila pupal retina, where excess interommatidial support cells are removed to refine the patterned ommatidial array. In this paper, we present data indicating that PCD occurs earlier within the pupal retina than previously demonstrated. As with later PCD, this death is dependent on Notch activity. Surprisingly, altering Drosophila Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor or Ras pathway activity had no effect on this death. Instead, our evidence indicates a role for Wingless signaling to provoke this cell death. Together, these signals regulate an intermediate step in the selective removal of unneeded interommatidial cells that is necessary for a precise retinal pattern.
Cordero
Julia
J
Department of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA.
Jassim
Omar
O
Bao
Sujin
S
Cagan
Ross
R
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011679:Pupa / Q000378:metabolism; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D012160:Retina / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C108880:HID protein, Drosophila; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C497759:N protein, Drosophila; D009479:Neuropeptides; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; C074622:wg protein, Drosophila; D066246:ErbB Receptors; C417283:Ras85D protein, Drosophila; D018631:ras Proteins