title: The role of apoptosis in shaping the tracheal system in the Drosophila embryo.
abstract: The tubular network of the tracheal system in the Drosophila embryo is created from a set of epithelial placodes by cell migration, rearrangements, fusions and shape changes. A designated number of cells is initially allocated to each branch of the system. We show here that the final cell number in the dorsal branches is not only determined by early patterning events and subsequent cell rearrangements but also by elimination of cells from the developing branch. Extruded cells die and are engulfed by macrophages. Our results suggest that the pattern of cell extrusion and death is not hard-wired, but is determined by environmental cues.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genetics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Magdalena M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Baer
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bilstein
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caussinus
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Csiszar
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Affolter
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leptin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D023102:Anoikis; D017209:Apoptosis; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002465:Cell Movement; D015509:Developmental Biology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000196:embryology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017344:Genes, Insect; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D014132:Trachea / Q000196:embryology*
chemical_list: D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins