title: Wallenda regulates JNK-mediated cell death in Drosophila.
abstract: The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway plays essential roles in regulating a variety of cellular processes including proliferation, migration and survival. Previous genetic studies in Drosophila have identified numerous cell death regulating genes, providing new insights into the mechanisms for related diseases. Despite the known role of the small GTPase Rac1 in regulating cell death, the downstream components and underlying mechanism remain largely elusive. Here, we show that Rac1 promotes JNK-dependent cell death through Wallenda (Wnd). In addition, we find that Wnd triggers JNK activation and cell death via its kinase domain. Moreover, we show that both MKK4 and Hep are critical for Wnd-induced cell death. Furthermore, Wnd is essential for ectopic Egr- or Rho1-induced JNK activation and cell death. Finally, Wnd is physiologically required for loss of scribble-induced JNK-dependent cell death. Thus, our data suggest that wnd encodes a novel essential cell death regulator in Drosophila.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Intervention Vessel, Shanghai 10th People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Institute of Intervention Vessel, Shanghai 10th People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Intervention Vessel, Shanghai 10th People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Intervention Vessel, Shanghai 10th People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Intervention Vessel, Shanghai 10th People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Intervention Vessel, Shanghai 10th People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xue
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology; D004330:Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases; C512899:wnd protein, Drosophila