The steroid hormone ecdysone controls systemic growth by repressing dMyc function in Drosophila fat cells.
How steroid hormones shape animal growth remains poorly understood. In Drosophila, the main steroid hormone, ecdysone, limits systemic growth during juvenile development. Here we show that ecdysone controls animal growth rate by specifically acting on the fat body, an organ that retains endocrine and storage functions of the vertebrate liver and fat. We demonstrate that fat body-targeted loss of function of the Ecdysone receptor (EcR) increases dMyc expression and its cellular functions such as ribosome biogenesis. Moreover, changing dMyc levels in this tissue is sufficient to affect animal growth rate. Finally, the growth increase induced by silencing EcR in the fat body is suppressed by cosilencing dMyc. In conclusion, the present work reveals an unexpected function of dMyc in the systemic control of growth in response to steroid hormone signaling.
Delanoue
Rénald
R
Institute of Developmental Biology and Cancer, University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis, CNRS, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice, France.
Slaidina
Maija
M
Léopold
Pierre
P
D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D049108:Cell Enlargement; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004440:Ecdysone / Q000378:metabolism*; D005216:Fat Body / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D020868:Gene Silencing / Q000502:physiology; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007605:Juvenile Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000235:genetics; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D007605:Juvenile Hormones; C102284:Myc protein, Drosophila; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D014157:Transcription Factors; C055469:ecdysone receptor; D004440:Ecdysone