title: Larval midgut destruction in Drosophila: not dependent on caspases but suppressed by the loss of autophagy.
abstract: While most programmed cell death (PCD) in animal development is reliant upon the caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway and subsequent cleavage of caspase substrates, we found that PCD in Drosophila larval midgut occurs normally in the absence of the main components of the apoptotic machinery. However, when some of the components of the autophagic machinery were disrupted, midgut destruction was severely delayed. These studies demonstrate that Drosophila midgut PCD is executed by a novel mechanism where caspases are apparently dispensable, but that requires autophagy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Denton
authors.forename: Bhupendra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shravage
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simin
authors.forename: Eric H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Baehrecke
authors.forename: Sharad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D020169:Caspases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016923:Cell Death / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007422:Intestines / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D007814:Larva / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological
chemical_list: D020169:Caspases