A collective form of cell death requires homeodomain interacting protein kinase.
We examined post-eclosion elimination of the Drosophila wing epithelium in vivo where collective "suicide waves" promote sudden, coordinated death of epithelial sheets without a final engulfment step. Like apoptosis in earlier developmental stages, this unique communal form of cell death is controlled through the apoptosome proteins, Dronc and Dark, together with the IAP antagonists, Reaper, Grim, and Hid. Genetic lesions in these pathways caused intervein epithelial cells to persist, prompting a characteristic late-onset blemishing phenotype throughout the wing blade. We leveraged this phenotype in mosaic animals to discover relevant genes and establish here that homeodomain interacting protein kinase (HIPK) is required for collective death of the wing epithelium. Extra cells also persisted in other tissues, establishing a more generalized requirement for HIPK in the regulation of cell death and cell numbers.
Department of Cell Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
Nichole
N
Link
Po
P
Chen
Wan-Jin
WJ
Lu
Kristi
K
Pogue
Amy
A
Chuong
Miguel
M
Mata
Joshua
J
Checketts
John M
JM
Abrams
D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death; D004330:Drosophila / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D011494:Protein Kinases; C501861:HIPK protein, Drosophila