title: Spen is required for pigment cell survival during pupal development in Drosophila.
abstract: Apoptosis is required during development to eliminate superfluous cells and sculpt tissues; spatial and timed control of apoptosis ensures that the necessary number of cells is eliminated at a precise time in a given tissue. The elimination of supernumerary pigment or inter-ommatidial cells (IOCs) depends on cell-cell communication and is necessary for the formation of the honeycomb-like structure of the Drosophila eye. However, the mechanisms occurring during pupal development and controlling apoptosis of superfluous IOC in space and time remain unclear. Here, we found that split-ends (spen) is required for IOC survival at the time of removal of superfluous IOCs. Loss of spen function leads to abnormal removal of IOCs by apoptosis. We show that spen is required non-autonomously in cone cells for the survival of IOCs by positively regulating the Spitz/EGFR pathway. We propose that Spen is an important survival factor that ensures spatial control of the apoptotic wave that is necessary for the correct patterning and formation of the Drosophila eye.
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Biology of the Cell, UMR5239 CNRS/Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, UMS 3444 Biosciences Lyon Gerland, Université de Lyon, 46 allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France.
authors: Matthieu
authors: M
authors: Querenet
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Biology of the Cell, UMR5239 CNRS/Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, UMS 3444 Biosciences Lyon Gerland, Université de Lyon, 46 allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France.
authors: Valerie
authors: V
authors: Goubard
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Biology of the Cell, UMR5239 CNRS/Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, UMS 3444 Biosciences Lyon Gerland, Université de Lyon, 46 allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France.
authors: Gilles
authors: G
authors: Chatelain
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Biology of the Cell, UMR5239 CNRS/Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, UMS 3444 Biosciences Lyon Gerland, Université de Lyon, 46 allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France. Electronic address: nathalie.davoust-nataf@ens-lyon.fr.
authors: Nathalie
authors: N
authors: Davoust
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Biology of the Cell, UMR5239 CNRS/Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, UMS 3444 Biosciences Lyon Gerland, Université de Lyon, 46 allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France. Electronic address: bertrand.mollereau@ens-lyon.fr.
authors: Bertrand
authors: B
authors: Mollereau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D002452:Cell Count; D004330:Drosophila / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005453:Fluorescence; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017956:Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011679:Pupa / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C402387:Spen protein, Drosophila
keywords: Apoptosis; Drosophila; EGFR; Retina; Spitz