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Precise temporal regulation of roughest is required for correct salivary gland autophagic cell death in Drosophila
Author(s) -
Simon Claudio R.,
Moda Livia M.R.,
OctacilioSilva Shirlei,
Anhezini Lucas,
MachadoGitai Luciana C.H.,
Ramos Ricardo Guelerman P.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
genesis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.093
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1526-968X
pISSN - 1526-954X
DOI - 10.1002/dvg.20527
Subject(s) - biology , salivary gland , microbiology and biotechnology , programmed cell death , drosophila melanogaster , phenotype , immunoglobulin superfamily , gene , genetics , apoptosis , biochemistry
The Drosophila roughest ( rst ) locus encodes an immunoglobulin superfamily transmembrane glycoprotein implicated in a variety of embryonic and postembryonic developmental processes. Here we demonstrate a previously unnoticed role for this gene in the autophagic elimination of larval salivary glands during early pupal stages by showing that overexpression of the Rst protein ectodomain in early pupa leads to persistence of salivary glands up to at least 12 hours after head eversion, although with variable penetrance. The same phenotype is observed in individuals carrying the dominant regulatory allele rst D , but not in loss of function alleles. Analysis of persistent glands at the ultrastructural level showed that programmed cell death starts at the right time but is arrested at an early stage of the process. Finally we describe the expression pattern and intracellular distribution of Rst in wild type and rst D mutants, showing that its downregulation in salivary glands at the beginning of pupal stage is an important factor in the correct implementation of the autophagic program of this tissue in space and time. genesis 47:492–504, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.