The Drosophila caspase Ice is important for many apoptotic cell deaths and for spermatid individualization, a nonapoptotic process

Essential role of grim-led programmed cell death for the establishment of corazonin-producing peptidergic nervous system during embryogenesis and metamorphosis in Drosophila melanogaster

In Drosophila melanogaster, combinatorial activities of four death genes, head involution defective (hid), reaper (rpr), grim, and sickle (skl), have been known to play crucial roles in the developmentally regulated programmed cell death (PCD) of various tissues. However, different expression patterns of the death genes also suggest distinct functions played by each. During early metamorphosis, a great number of larval neurons unfit for adult life style are removed by PCD. Among them are eight pairs of corazonin-expressing larval peptidergic neurons in the ventral nerve cord (vCrz). To reveal death genes responsible for the PCD of vCrz neurons, we examined extant and recently available mutations as well as RNA interference that disrupt functions of single or multiple death genes. We found grim as a chief proapoptotic gene and skl and rpr as minor ones. The function of grim is also required for PCD of the mitotic sibling cells of the vCrz neuronal precursors (EW3-sib) during embryonic neurogenesis. An intergenic region between grim and rpr, which, it has been suggested, may enhance expression of three death genes in embryonic neuroblasts, appears to play a role for the vCrz PCD, but not for the EW3-sib cell death. The death of vCrz neurons and EW3-sib is triggered by ecdysone and the Notch signaling pathway, respectively, suggesting distinct regulatory mechanisms of grim expression in a cell- and developmental stage-specific manner.

Beyond apoptosis: caspase regulatory mechanisms and functions in vivo

The caspases, a family of cysteine proteases, function as central regulators of cell death. Recently, caspase activity and caspase substrates identified in the absence of cell death have sparked strong interest in caspase functions in nonapoptotic cellular responses; these functions suggest that caspases may be activated without inducing or before apoptosis, thus leading to the cleavage of a specific subset of substrates. This review focuses primarily on the caspase enzymatic activity. Detailed genetic analyses of caspase-deficient Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila, and mice have shown that caspases are essential, not only for controlling the number of cells involved in sculpting or deleting structures in developing animals, but also for dynamic, nonapoptotic cell processes, such as innate immune response, tissue regeneration, cell-fate determination, stem-cell differentiation and neural activation. Our understanding of the spatio-temporal caspase activation mechanisms has advanced, primarily through the study of Drosophila developmental processes. This review will discuss current findings regarding caspase functions in cytoskeletal modification, morphogenetic regulation of cell shape, cell migration and the production of mechanical force during embryogenesis.

Apoptotic and nonapoptotic caspase functions in animal development

A developing animal is exposed to both intrinsic and extrinsic stresses. One stress response is caspase activation. Caspase activation not only controls apoptosis but also proliferation, differentiation, cell shape, and cell migration. Caspase activation drives development by executing cell death or nonapoptotic functions in a cell-autonomous manner, and by secreting signaling molecules or generating mechanical forces, in a noncell autonomous manner.

Identification of factors that function in Drosophila salivary gland cell death during development using proteomics

Proteasome inhibitors induce cell death and are used in cancer therapy, but little is known about the relationship between proteasome impairment and cell death under normal physiological conditions. Here, we investigate the relationship between proteasome function and larval salivary gland cell death during development in Drosophila. Drosophila larval salivary gland cells undergo synchronized programmed cell death requiring both caspases and autophagy (Atg) genes during development. Here, we show that ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) function is reduced during normal salivary gland cell death, and that ectopic proteasome impairment in salivary gland cells leads to early DNA fragmentation and salivary gland condensation in vivo. Shotgun proteomic analyses of purified dying salivary glands identified the UPS as the top category of proteins enriched, suggesting a possible compensatory induction of these factors to maintain proteolysis during cell death. We compared the proteome following ectopic proteasome impairment to the proteome during developmental cell death in salivary gland cells. Proteins that were enriched in both populations of cells were screened for their function in salivary gland degradation using RNAi knockdown. We identified several factors, including trol, a novel gene CG11880, and the cop9 signalsome component cop9 signalsome 6, as required for Drosophila larval salivary gland degradation.

Drosophila spermiogenesis: Big things come from little packages

Drosophila melanogaster spermatids undergo dramatic morphological changes as they differentiate from small round cells approximately 12 μm in diameter into highly polarized, 1.8 mm long, motile sperm capable of participating in fertilization. During spermiogenesis, syncytial cysts of 64 haploid spermatids undergo synchronous differentiation. Numerous changes occur at a subcellular level, including remodeling of existing organelles (mitochondria, nuclei), formation of new organelles (flagellar axonemes, acrosomes), polarization of elongating cysts and plasma membrane addition. At the end of spermatid morphogenesis, organelles, mitochondrial DNA and cytoplasmic components not needed in mature sperm are stripped away in a caspase-dependent process called individualization that results in formation of individual sperm. Here, we review the stages of Drosophila spermiogenesis and examine our current understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in shaping male germ cell-specific organelles and forming mature, fertile sperm.

Caspase levels and execution efficiencies determine the apoptotic potential of the cell

Differences in expression level of the effector caspases Drice and Dcp-1 and in their intrinsic abilities to induce apoptosis and to control the rate of cell death underlie the differential sensitivities of cells to apoptosis.

Essentially, all metazoan cells can undergo apoptosis, but some cells are more sensitive than others to apoptotic stimuli. To date, it is unclear what determines the apoptotic potential of the cell. We set up an in vivo system for monitoring and comparing the activity levels of the two main effector caspases in Drosophila melanogaster, Drice and Dcp-1. Both caspases were activated by the apoptosome after irradiation. However, whereas each caspase alone could induce apoptosis, Drice was a more effective inducer of apoptosis than Dcp-1, which instead had a role in establishing the rate of cell death. These functional differences are attributed to their intrinsic properties rather than merely their tissue specificities. Significantly, the levels of the procaspases are directly proportional to their activity levels and play a key role in determining the cell’s sensitivity to apoptosis. Finally, we provide evidence for the existence of a cellular execution threshold of caspase activity, which must be reached to induce apoptosis.

Drosophila IAP1-mediated ubiquitylation controls activation of the initiator caspase DRONC independent of protein degradation

Ubiquitylation targets proteins for proteasome-mediated degradation and plays important roles in many biological processes including apoptosis. However, non-proteolytic functions of ubiquitylation are also known. In Drosophila, the inhibitor of apoptosis protein 1 (DIAP1) is known to ubiquitylate the initiator caspase DRONC in vitro. Because DRONC protein accumulates in diap1 mutant cells that are kept alive by caspase inhibition (“undead” cells), it is thought that DIAP1-mediated ubiquitylation causes proteasomal degradation of DRONC, protecting cells from apoptosis. However, contrary to this model, we show here that DIAP1-mediated ubiquitylation does not trigger proteasomal degradation of full-length DRONC, but serves a non-proteolytic function. Our data suggest that DIAP1-mediated ubiquitylation blocks processing and activation of DRONC. Interestingly, while full-length DRONC is not subject to DIAP1-induced degradation, once it is processed and activated it has reduced protein stability. Finally, we show that DRONC protein accumulates in “undead” cells due to increased transcription of dronc in these cells. These data refine current models of caspase regulation by IAPs.

The Drosophila inhibitor of apoptosis 1 (DIAP1) readily promotes ubiquitylation of the CASPASE-9–like initiator caspase DRONC in vitro and in vivo. Because DRONC protein accumulates in diap1 mutant cells that are kept alive by effector caspase inhibition—producing so-called “undead” cells—it has been proposed that DIAP1-mediated ubiquitylation would target full-length DRONC for proteasomal degradation, ensuring survival of normal cells. However, this has never been tested rigorously in vivo. By examining loss and gain of diap1 function, we show that DIAP1-mediated ubiquitylation does not trigger degradation of full-length DRONC. Our analysis demonstrates that DIAP1-mediated ubiquitylation controls DRONC processing and activation in a non-proteolytic manner. Interestingly, once DRONC is processed and activated, it has reduced protein stability. We also demonstrate that “undead” cells induce transcription of dronc, explaining increased protein levels of DRONC in these cells. This study re-defines the mechanism by which IAP-mediated ubiquitylation regulates caspase activity.

Defining the core apoptosis pathway in the mosquito disease vector Aedes aegypti: the roles of iap1, ark, dronc, and effector caspases

To date, our knowledge of apoptosis regulation in insects comes almost exclusively from the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. In contrast, despite the identification of numerous genes that are presumed to regulate apoptosis in other insects based on sequence homology, little has been done to examine the molecular pathways that regulate apoptosis in other insects, including medically important disease vectors. In D. melanogaster, the core apoptosis pathway consists of the caspase negative regulator DIAP1, IAP antagonists, the initiator caspase Dronc and its activating protein Ark, and the effector caspase DrICE. Here we have studied the functions of several genes from the mosquito disease vector Aedes aegypti that share homology with the core apoptosis genes in D. melanogaster. Silencing of the iap1 gene in the A. aegypti cell line Aag2 caused spontaneous apoptosis, indicating that IAP1 plays a role in cell survival similar to that of DIAP1. Silencing A. aegypti ark or dronc completely inhibited apoptosis triggered by several different apoptotic stimuli. However, individual silencing of the effector caspases CASPS7 or CASPS8, which are the closest relatives to DrICE, only partially inhibited apoptosis, and silencing both CASPS7 and CASPS8 together did not have a significant additional effect. Our results suggest that the core pathway that regulates apoptosis in A. aegypti is similar to that of D. melanogaster, but that more than one effector caspase is involved in apoptosis in A. aegypti. This is interesting in light of the fact that the caspase family has expanded in mosquitoes compared to D. melanogaster.

Caspase signaling in animal development

The caspases are a family of cysteine proteases that function as central regulators of cell death. Recent investigations in Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila, and mice indicate that caspases are essential not only in controlling the number of cells involved in sculpting or deleting structures in developing animals, but also in dynamic cell processes such as cell-fate determination, compensatory proliferation of neighboring cells, and actin cytoskeleton reorganization, in a non-apoptotic context during development. This review focuses primarily on caspase functions involving their enzymatic activity.

A comprehensive characterization of the caspase gene family in insects from the order Lepidoptera

Background

The cell suicide pathway of apoptosis is a necessary event in the life of multicellular organisms. It is involved in many biological processes ranging from development to the immune response. Evolutionarily conserved proteases, called caspases, play a central role in regulating apoptosis. Reception of death stimuli triggers the activation of initiator caspases, which in turn activate the effector caspases. In Lepidoptera, apoptosis is crucial in processes such as metamorphosis or defending against baculovirus infection. The discovery of p35, a baculovirus protein inhibiting caspase activity, has led to the characterization of the first lepidopteran caspase, Sf-Caspase-1. Studies on Sf-Caspase-1 mode of activation suggested that apoptosis in Lepidoptera requires a cascade of caspase activation, as demonstrated in many other species.

Results

In order to get insights into this gene family in Lepidoptera, we performed an extensive survey of lepidopteran-derived EST datasets. We identified 66 sequences distributed among 27 species encoding putative caspases. Phylogenetic analyses showed that Lepidoptera possess at least 5 caspases, for which we propose a unified nomenclature. According to homology to their Drosophila counterparts and their primary structure, we determined that Lep-Caspase-1, -2 and -3 are putative effector caspases, whereas Lep-Caspase-5 and -6 are putative initiators. The likely function of Lep-Caspase-4 remains unclear. Lep-Caspase-2 is absent from the silkworm genome and appears to be noctuid-specific, and to have arisen from a tandem duplication of the Caspase-1 gene. In the tobacco hawkmoth, 3 distinct transcripts encoding putative Caspase-4 were identified, suggesting at least 2 duplication events in this species.

Conclusions

The basic repertoire of five major types of caspases shared among Lepidoptera seems to be smaller than for most other groups studied to date, but gene duplication still plays a role in lineage-specific increases in diversity, just as in Diptera and mammals.

Drosophila caspases involved in developmentally regulated programmed cell death of peptidergic neurons during early metamorphosis

A great number of obsolete larval neurons in the Drosophila central nervous system are eliminated by developmentally programmed cell death (PCD) during early metamorphosis. To elucidate the mechanisms of neuronal PCD occurring during this period, we undertook genetic dissection of seven currently known Drosophila caspases in the PCD of a group of interneurons (vCrz) that produce corazonin (Crz) neuropeptide in the ventral nerve cord. The molecular death program in the vCrz neurons initiates within 1 hour after pupariation, as demonstrated by the cytological signs of cell death and caspase activation. PCD was significantly suppressed in dronc-null mutants, but not in null mutants of either dredd or strica. A double mutation lacking both dronc and strica impaired PCD phenotype more severely than did a dronc mutation alone, but comparably to a triple dredd/strica/dronc mutation, indicating that dronc is a main initiator caspase, while strica plays a minor role that overlaps with dronc's. As for effector caspases, vCrz PCD requires both ice and dcp-1 functions, as they work cooperatively for a timely removal of the vCrz neurons. Interestingly, the activation of the Ice and Dcp-1 is not solely dependent on Dronc and Strica, implying an alternative pathway to activate the effectors. Two remaining effector caspase genes, decay and damm, found no apparent functions in the neuronal PCD, at least during early metamorphosis. Overall, our work revealed that vCrz PCD utilizes dronc, strica, dcp-1, and ice wherein the activation of Ice and Dcp-1 requires a novel pathway in addition to the initiator caspases.

Apoptosis controls the speed of looping morphogenesis in Drosophila male terminalia

In metazoan development, the precise mechanisms that regulate the completion of morphogenesis according to a developmental timetable remain elusive. The Drosophila male terminalia is an asymmetric looping organ; the internal genitalia (spermiduct) loops dextrally around the hindgut. Mutants for apoptotic signaling have an orientation defect of their male terminalia, indicating that apoptosis contributes to the looping morphogenesis. However, the physiological roles of apoptosis in the looping morphogenesis of male terminalia have been unclear. Here, we show the role of apoptosis in the organogenesis of male terminalia using time-lapse imaging. In normal flies, genitalia rotation accelerated as development proceeded, and completed a full 360° rotation. This acceleration was impaired when the activity of caspases or JNK or PVF/PVR signaling was reduced. Acceleration was induced by two distinct subcompartments of the A8 segment that formed a ring shape and surrounded the male genitalia: the inner ring rotated with the genitalia and the outer ring rotated later, functioning as a 'moving walkway' to accelerate the inner ring rotation. A quantitative analysis combining the use of a FRET-based indicator for caspase activation with single-cell tracking showed that the timing and degree of apoptosis correlated with the movement of the outer ring, and upregulation of the apoptotic signal increased the speed of genital rotation. Therefore, apoptosis coordinates the outer ring movement that drives the acceleration of genitalia rotation, thereby enabling the complete morphogenesis of male genitalia within a limited developmental time frame.

The role of IAP antagonist proteins in the core apoptosis pathway of the mosquito disease vector Aedes aegypti

While apoptosis regulation has been studied extensively in Drosophila melanogaster, similar studies in other insects, including disease vectors, lag far behind. In D. melanogaster, the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) protein DIAP1 is the major negative regulator of caspases, while IAP antagonists induce apoptosis, in part, by binding to DIAP1 and inhibiting its ability to regulate caspases. In this study, we characterized the roles of two IAP antagonists, Michelob_x (Mx) and IMP, in apoptosis in the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti. Overexpression of Mx or IMP caused apoptosis in A. aegypti Aag2 cells, while silencing expression of mx or imp attenuated apoptosis. Addition of recombinant Mx or IMP, but not cytochrome c, to Aag2 cytosolic extract caused caspase activation. Consistent with this finding, AeIAP1 bound and inhibited both initiator and effector caspases from A. aegypti, and Mx and IMP competed with caspases for binding to AeIAP1. However, a difference was observed in the BIR domains responsible for Dronc binding by AeIAP1 versus DIAP1. These findings demonstrate that the mechanisms by which IAP antagonists regulate apoptosis are largely conserved between A. aegypti and D. melanogaster, although subtle differences exist.

The cholesterol trafficking protein NPC1 is required for Drosophila spermatogenesis

Niemann-Pick C (NPC) disease is a lethal neurodegenerative disorder affecting cellular sterol trafficking. Besides neurodegeneration, NPC patients also exhibit other pleiotropic conditions, indicating that NPC protein is required for other physiological processes. Previous studies indicated that a sterol shortage that in turn leads to a shortage of steroid hormones (for example, ecdysone in Drosophila) is likely to be the cause of NPC disease pathology. We have shown that mutations in Drosophila npc1, one of the two NPC disease-related genes, leads to larval lethal and male infertility. Here, we reported that npc1 mutants are defective in spermatogenesis and in particular in the membrane-remodeling individualization process. Interestingly, we found that ecdysone, the steroid hormone responsible for the larval lethal phenotype in npc1 mutants, is not required for individualization. However, supplying 7-dehydrocholesterol can partially rescue the male infertility of npc1 mutants, suggesting that a sterol shortage is responsible for the spermatogenesis defects. In addition, the individualization defects of npc1 mutants were enhanced at high temperature, suggesting that the sterol shortage may lead to temperature-sensitive defects in the membrane-remodeling process. Together, our study reveals a sterol-dependent, ecdysone-independent mechanism of NPC1 function in Drosophila spermatogenesis.

Blanks, a nuclear siRNA/dsRNA-binding complex component, is required for Drosophila spermiogenesis

Small RNAs and a diverse array of protein partners control gene expression in eukaryotes through a variety of mechanisms. By combining siRNA affinity chromatography and mass spectrometry, we have identified the double-stranded RNA-binding domain protein Blanks to be an siRNA- and dsRNA-binding protein from Drosophila S2 cells. We find that Blanks is a nuclear factor that contributes to the efficiency of RNAi. Biochemical fractionation of a Blanks-containing complex shows that the Blanks complex is unlike previously described RNA-induced silencing complexes and associates with the DEAD-box helicase RM62, a protein previously implicated in RNA silencing. In flies, Blanks is highly expressed in testes tissues and is necessary for postmeiotic spermiogenesis, but loss of Blanks is not accompanied by detectable transposon derepression. Instead, genes related to innate immunity pathways are up-regulated in blanks mutant testes. These results reveal Blanks to be a unique component of a nuclear siRNA/dsRNA-binding complex that contributes to essential RNA silencing-related pathways in the male germ line.

Physiological apoptosis of polar cells during Drosophila oogenesis is mediated by Hid-dependent regulation of Diap1

Although much has been learned in recent years about the apoptotic machinery, the mechanisms underlying survival and death choices during development of metazoans remain less clearly understood. During early oogenesis in Drosophila, a small excess in the number of specialized somatic cells, called polar cells (PCs), produced at follicle extremities is reduced to exactly two cells through apoptosis by mid-oogenesis. We have found that PCs destined to die first lose their apical contacts and then round up and shrink progressively until they disappear. Caspases are activated only once the cells have begun to shrink, suggesting that they are implicated in this part of the process, but not in the initial loss of cell polarity. Loss-of-function analyses based on mutant, clonal and RNAi approaches show that among the RHG family of pro-apoptotic factors, Hid is specifically necessary for PC apoptosis, as well as the initiator caspase Dronc and its adaptor Dark/Apaf-1, and likely several effector caspases, in particular Drice. In addition, we show that Hid protein and transcripts accumulate specifically in PCs destined to die, while the anti-apoptotic factor Diap1 is downregulated in these cells in a hid-dependent manner. Therefore, our results implicate the Hid-Diap1 module as an important regulatory point in a developmental case of apoptosis.

Pseudomonas exotoxin kills Drosophila S2 cells via apoptosis

Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE) is cytotoxic for eukaryotic cells because it enters cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis, translocates to the cell cytosol and ADP-ribosylates elongation factor 2 (EF2). However, the interaction of this toxin with eukaryotic cells and the mechanism of PE-mediated cell death have not been extensively characterized. The feasibility of carrying out a genome-wide RNAi screen, makes Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells as a good model system to identify essential genes in PE-mediated cytotoxicity, provided a suitable multi-well assay is developed. Here, using the alamarBlue viability assay, we show that Drosophila S2 cells are sensitive to PE at picomolar concentrations and that toxin treatments provoke an increase in caspase activity. This prompted us to use RNAi to characterize the mechanism of cell death. Results indicated that PE-mediated death of S2 cells was dependent on the presence of diphthamide, the post translational modification of EF2, and on the presence of Drice, the terminal caspase of insect cells. RNAi to drice or chemical inhibition of caspase action by z-VAD-fmk protected cells from PE-mediated death. Protection from death by RNAi or z-VAD-fmk did not interfere with toxin delivery to the cytosol leading to inhibition of protein synthesis. Using a convenient alamarBlue assay, our data confirms the cytotoxicity of PE for S2 cells and establishes apoptosis as the mode of PE-mediated death. This confirms the suitability of Drosophila cells as a convenient and simple model to elucidate the role of specific genes and proteins required for PE action.

The Drosophila SUN protein Spag4 cooperates with the coiled-coil protein Yuri Gagarin to maintain association of the basal body and spermatid nucleus

Maintaining the proximity of centrosomes to nuclei is important in several cellular contexts, and LINC complexes formed by SUN and KASH proteins are crucial in this process. Here, we characterize the presumed Drosophila ortholog of the mammalian SUN protein, sperm-associated antigen 4 (Spag4, previously named Giacomo), and demonstrate that Spag4 is required for centriole and nuclear attachment during spermatogenesis. Production of spag4 mRNA is limited to the testis, and Spag4 protein shows a dynamic pattern of association with the germline nuclei, including a concentration of protein at the site of attachment of the single spermatid centriole. In the absence of Spag4, nuclei and centrioles or basal bodies (BBs) dissociate from each other after meiosis. This role of Spag4 in centriolar attachment does not involve either of the two KASH proteins of the Drosophila genome (Klarsicht and MSP-300), but does require the coiled-coil protein Yuri Gagarin. Yuri shows an identical pattern of localization at the nuclear surface to Spag4 during spermatogenesis, and epistasis studies show that the activities of Yuri and dynein-dynactin are downstream of spag4 in this centriole attachment pathway. The later defects in spermatogenesis seen for yuri and spag4 mutants are similar, suggesting they could be secondary to initial disruption of events at the nuclear surface.

Activation of autophagy during cell death requires the engulfment receptor Draper

Autophagy degrades cytoplasmic components that are required for cell survival in response to starvation. Autophagy has also been associated with cell death, but it is unclear how this is distinguished from autophagy during cell survival. Drosophila salivary glands undergo programmed cell death that requires autophagy genes, and engulfment of salivary gland cells by phagocytes does not appear to occur. Here we show that Draper (Drpr), the Drosophila melanogaster orthologue of the Caenorhabditis elegans engulfment receptor CED-1, is required for autophagy during cell death. Null mutations in, and salivary gland-specific knockdown of, drpr inhibit salivary gland degradation. Knockdown of drpr prevents the induction of autophagy in dying salivary glands, and expression of the Atg1 autophagy regulator in drpr mutants suppresses the failure in degradation of salivary glands. Surprisingly, drpr is required in the same dying salivary gland cells in which it regulates autophagy induction, but drpr knockdown does not prevent starvation-induced autophagy in the fat body, which is associated with survival. In addition, components of the conserved engulfment pathway are required for clearance of dying salivary glands. To our knowledge, this is the first example of an engulfment factor that is required for self-clearance of cells. Further, Drpr is the first factor that distinguishes autophagy that is associated with cell death from autophagy associated with cell survival.

Axonal degeneration is regulated by the apoptotic machinery or a NAD+-sensitive pathway in insects and mammals

Selective degeneration of neuronal projections and neurite pruning are critical for establishment and maintenance of functional neural circuits in both insects and mammals. However, the molecular mechanisms that govern developmental neurite pruning versus injury-induced neurite degeneration are still mostly unclear. Here, we show that the effector caspases 6 and 3 are both expressed within axons and that, on trophic deprivation, they exhibit distinct modes of activation. Surprisingly, inhibition of caspases is not sufficient for axonal protection and a parallel modulation of a NAD(+)-sensitive pathway is required. The proapoptotic protein BAX is a key element in both pathways as its genetic ablation protected sensory axons against developmental degeneration both in vitro and in vivo. Last, we demonstrate that both pathways are also involved in developmental dendritic pruning in Drosophila. More specifically, the mouse Wld(S) (Wallerian degeneration slow) protein, which is mainly composed of the full-length sequence of the NAD(+) biosynthetic Nmnat1 enzyme, can suppress dendritic pruning in C4da (class IV dendritic arborization) sensory neurons in parallel to the fly effector caspases. These findings indicate that two distinct autodestruction pathways act separately or in concert to regulate developmental neurite pruning.

A novel F-box protein is required for caspase activation during cellular remodeling in Drosophila

Terminal differentiation of male germ cells in Drosophila and mammals requires extensive cytoarchitectural remodeling, the elimination of many organelles, and a large reduction in cell volume. The associated process, termed spermatid individualization, is facilitated by the apoptotic machinery, including caspases, but does not result in cell death. From a screen for genes defective in caspase activation in this system, we isolated a novel F-box protein, which we termed Nutcracker, that is strictly required for caspase activation and sperm differentiation. Nutcracker interacts through its F-box domain with members of a Cullin-1-based ubiquitin ligase complex (SCF): Cullin-1 and SkpA. This ubiquitin ligase does not regulate the stability of the caspase inhibitors DIAP1 and DIAP2, but physically binds Bruce, a BIR-containing giant protein involved in apoptosis regulation. Furthermore, nutcracker mutants disrupt proteasome activity without affecting their distribution. These findings define a new SCF complex required for caspase activation during sperm differentiation and highlight the role of regulated proteolysis during this process.

Interaction between Drosophila bZIP proteins Atf3 and Jun prevents replacement of epithelial cells during metamorphosis

Epithelial sheet spreading and fusion underlie important developmental processes. Well-characterized examples of such epithelial morphogenetic events have been provided by studies in Drosophila, and include embryonic dorsal closure, formation of the adult thorax and wound healing. All of these processes require the basic region-leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors Jun and Fos. Much less is known about morphogenesis of the fly abdomen, which involves replacement of larval epidermal cells (LECs) with adult histoblasts that divide, migrate and finally fuse to form the adult epidermis during metamorphosis. Here, we implicate Drosophila Activating transcription factor 3 (Atf3), the single ortholog of human ATF3 and JDP2 bZIP proteins, in abdominal morphogenesis. During the process of the epithelial cell replacement, transcription of the atf3 gene declines. When this downregulation is experimentally prevented, the affected LECs accumulate cell-adhesion proteins and their extrusion and replacement with histoblasts are blocked. The abnormally adhering LECs consequently obstruct the closure of the adult abdominal epithelium. This closure defect can be either mimicked and further enhanced by knockdown of the small GTPase Rho1 or, conversely, alleviated by stimulating ecdysone steroid hormone signaling. Both Rho and ecdysone pathways have been previously identified as effectors of the LEC replacement. To elicit the gain-of-function effect, Atf3 specifically requires its binding partner Jun. Our data thus identify Atf3 as a new functional partner of Drosophila Jun during development.

The role of ubiquitylation for the control of cell death in Drosophila

Ubiquitylation describes a process in which ubiquitin, a 76-amino-acid polypeptide, is covalently attached to target proteins. Traditionally, ubiquitin-conjugated proteins are targeted for degradation by the 26S proteasome. However, non-proteolytic roles in histone regulation, DNA repair and signal transduction have been reported. Here, the role of ubiquitylation in the cell death pathway in Drosophila is reviewed. Interestingly, ubiquitylation serves both pro- and anti-apoptotic functions. Although pro-apoptotic ubiquitylation leads to proteolytic degradation, recent evidence suggests that anti-apoptotic ubiquitylation may involve, at least in part, non-proteolytic functions.

The cleaved-Caspase-3 antibody is a marker of Caspase-9-like DRONC activity in Drosophila

The cleaved-Caspase-3 antibody is a popular tool in apoptosis research in Drosophila. As the antibody was raised against cleaved human Caspase-3, it was assumed that it detects cleaved DRICE and DCP-1, Caspase-3-like effector caspases in Drosophila. However, as shown here, strong immunoreactivity persists in apoptotic models doubly mutant for drICE and dcp-1. In contrast, mutants of the apoptosome components DRONC (Caspase-9-like) and ARK (Apaf-1 related) do not label with the cleaved-Caspase-3 antibody. By peptide blocking experiments and further genetic studies, we provide evidence that the cleaved-Caspase-3 antibody recognizes multiple proteins including DCP-1 and likely DRICE, but also at least one additional unknown protein, all of which require DRONC for epitope exposure. The unknown substrate may be involved in non-apoptotic functions of DRONC. Because the cleaved-Caspase-3 antibody not only detects cleaved Caspase-3-like proteins in Drosophila, but also other proteins in a DRONC-dependent manner, it is more accurate to consider the cleaved-Caspase-3 antibody as a marker for DRONC activity, rather than effector caspase activity.

Regulation of cell death by the ubiquitin-proteasome system

The regulation of apoptosis (programmed cell death) has been the subject of a vast body of research because of its implications in normal development, tissue homeostasis and a wide range of diseases. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) plays a prominent role in the control of apoptosis by targeting key cell death proteins, including caspases, the central executioners of apoptosis. Here we summarize the major findings on the function of the UPS in both pro- and anti-apoptotic regulation.

Autophagy, not apoptosis, is essential for midgut cell death in Drosophila

Most developmentally programmed cell death in metazoans is mediated by caspases. During Drosophila metamorphosis, obsolete tissues, including the midgut and salivary glands, are removed by programmed cell death [1]. The initiator caspase Dronc and its activator Ark are required for the death of salivary glands, but not for midgut removal [2, 3]. In addition to caspases, complete removal of salivary glands requires autophagy [4]. However, the contribution of autophagy to midgut cell death has not been explored. Examination of combined mutants of the main initiator and effector caspases revealed that the canonical apoptotic pathway is not required for midgut cell death. Further analyses revealed that the caspase Decay is responsible for most of the caspase activity in dying midguts, yet inhibition of this activity has no effect on midgut removal. By contrast, midgut degradation was severely delayed by inhibition of autophagy, and this occurred without a decrease in caspase activity. Surprisingly, the combined inhibition of caspases and autophagy did not result in an additional delay in midgut removal. Together, our results indicate that autophagy, not caspases, is essential for midgut programmed cell death, providing the first in vivo evidence of caspase-independent programmed cell death that requires autophagy despite the presence of high caspase activity.

Can't live without them, can live with them: roles of caspases during vital cellular processes

Since the pioneering discovery that the genetic cell death program in C. elegans is executed by the cysteine-aspartate protease (caspase) CED3, caspase activation has become nearly synonymous with apoptosis. A critical mass of data accumulated in the past few years, have clearly established that apoptotic caspases can also participate in a variety of non-apoptotic processes. The roles of caspases during these processes and the regulatory mechanisms that prevent unrestrained caspase activity remain to be fully investigated, and may vary in different cellular contexts. Significantly, some of these processes, such as terminal differentiation of vertebrate lens fiber cells and red blood cells, as well as spermatid terminal differentiation and dendritic pruning of sensory neurons in Drosophila, all involve proteolytic degradation of major cellular compartments, and are conceptually, molecularly, biochemically, and morphologically reminiscent of apoptosis. Moreover, some of these model systems bear added values for the study of caspase activation/apoptosis. For example, the Drosophila sperm differentiation is the only system known in invertebrate which absolutely requires the mitochondrial pathway (i.e. Cyt c). The existence of testis-specific genes for many of the components in the electron transport chain, including Cyt c, facilitates the use of the Drosophila sperm system to investigate possible roles of these otherwise essential proteins in caspase activation. Caspases are also involved in a wide range of other vital processes of non-degenerative nature, indicating that these proteases play much more diverse roles than previously assumed. In this essay, we review genetic, cytological, and molecular studies conducted in Drosophila, vertebrate, and cultured cells, which underlie the foundations of this newly emerging field.

Inside an enigma: do mitochondria contribute to cell death in Drosophila?

Mitochondria have been shown to play an important role in cell death in mammalian cells. However, the importance of mitochondria in Drosophila apoptosis is still under investigation. Many proteins involved in the regulation of apoptosis in mammals act at mitochondria or are released from mitochondria, resulting in caspase activation. In addition, these organelles undergo significant ultrastructural changes during apoptosis. This review highlights similarities and differences in the roles of mitochondria and mitochondrial factors in apoptosis between Drosophila and mammals. In Drosophila, many key regulators of apoptosis also appear to localize to this organelle, which also undergoes ultrastructural changes during apoptosis. Although many of the proteins important for the control of apoptosis in mammalian cells are conserved in Drosophila, the role that mitochondria play in apoptosis in this model system remains an area of controversy and active research.

Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins in Drosophila: gatekeepers of death

Regulation of apoptosis is crucial to ensure cellular viability, and failure to do so is linked to several human pathologies. The apoptotic cell death programme culminates in the activation of caspases, a family of highly specific cysteine proteases essential for the destruction of the cell. Although best known for their role in executing apoptosis, caspases also play important signalling roles in non-apoptotic processes, such as regulation of actin dynamics, innate immunity, cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. Under such conditions, caspases are activated without killing the cell. Caspase activation and activity is subject to complex regulation, and various cellular and viral inhibitors have been identified that control the activity of caspases in their apoptotic and non-apoptotic roles. Members of the Inhibitor of APoptosis (IAP) protein family ensure cell viability in Drosophila by directly binding to caspases and regulating their activities in a ubiquitin-dependent manner. The observation that IAPs are essential for cell survival in Drosophila, and are frequently deregulated in human cancer, contributing to tumourigenesis, chemoresistance, disease progression and poor patient survival, highlights the importance of this family of caspase regulators in health and disease. Here we summarise recent advances from Drosophila that start to elucidate how the cellular response to caspase activation is modulated by IAPs and their regulators.

Cracking open cell death in the Drosophila ovary

The Drosophila melanogaster ovary is a powerful yet simple system with only a few cell types. Cell death in the ovary can be induced in response to multiple developmental and environmental signals. These cell deaths occur at distinct stages of oogenesis and involve unique mechanisms utilizing apoptotic, autophagic and perhaps necrotic processes. In this review, we summarize recent progress characterizing cell death mechanisms in the fly ovary.

Genome-wide silencing in Drosophila captures conserved apoptotic effectors

Apoptosis is a conserved form of programmed cell death firmly established in the aetiology, pathogenesis and treatment of many human diseases. Central to the core machinery of apoptosis are the caspases and their proximal regulators. Current models for caspase control involve a balance of opposing elements, with variable contributions from positive and negative regulators among different cell types and species. To advance a comprehensive view of components that support caspase-dependent cell death, we conducted a genome-wide silencing screen in the Drosophila model. Our strategy used a library of double-stranded RNAs together with a chemical antagonist of Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) that simulates the action of native regulators in the Reaper and Smac (also known as Diablo) families. Here we present a highly validated set of targets that is necessary for death provoked by several stimuli. Among these, Tango7 is identified as a new effector. Cells depleted for this gene resisted apoptosis at a step before the induction of effector caspase activity, and the directed silencing of Tango7 in Drosophila prevented caspase-dependent programmed cell death. Unlike known apoptosis regulators in this model system, Tango7 activity did not influence stimulus-dependent loss of Drosophila DIAP1 (also known as th and IAP1), but instead regulated levels of the apical caspase Dronc (Nc). Similarly, the human Tango7 counterpart, PCID1 (also known as EIF3M), impinged on caspase 9, revealing a new regulatory axis affecting the apoptosome.

Juvenile hormone counteracts the bHLH-PAS transcription factors MET and GCE to prevent caspase-dependent programmed cell death in Drosophila

Juvenile hormone (JH) regulates many developmental and physiological events in insects, but its molecular mechanism remains conjectural. Here we report that genetic ablation of the corpus allatum cells of the Drosophilaring gland (the JH source) resulted in JH deficiency, pupal lethality and precocious and enhanced programmed cell death (PCD) of the larval fat body. In the fat body of the JH-deficient animals, Dronc and Drice,two caspase genes that are crucial for PCD induced by the molting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), were significantly upregulated. These results demonstrated that JH antagonizes 20E-induced PCD by restricting the mRNA levels of Dronc and Drice. The antagonizing effect of JH on 20E-induced PCD in the fat body was further confirmed in the JH-deficient animals by 20E treatment and RNA interference of the 20E receptor EcR. Moreover, MET and GCE, the bHLH-PAS transcription factors involved in JH action, were shown to induce PCD by upregulating Droncand Drice. In the Met- and gce-deficient animals, Dronc and Drice were downregulated, whereas in the Met-overexpression fat body, Dronc and Drice were significantly upregulated leading to precocious and enhanced PCD, and this upregulation could be suppressed by application of the JH agonist methoprene. For the first time, we demonstrate that JH counteracts MET and GCE to prevent caspase-dependent PCD in controlling fat body remodeling and larval-pupal metamorphosis in Drosophila.

Activation of sterol regulatory element-binding protein by the caspase Drice in Drosophila larvae

During larval development in Drosophila melanogaster, transcriptional activation of target genes by sterol regulatory element-binding protein (dSREBP) is essential for survival. In all cases studied to date, activation of SREBPs requires sequential proteolysis of the membrane-bound precursor by site-1 protease (S1P) and site-2 protease (S2P). Cleavage by S2P, within the first membrane-spanning helix of SREBP, releases the transcription factor. In contrast to flies lacking dSREBP, flies lacking dS2P are viable. The Drosophila effector caspase Drice cleaves dSREBP, and cleavage requires an Asp residue at position 386, in the cytoplasmic juxtamembrane stalk. The initiator caspase Dronc does not cleave dSREBP, but animals lacking dS2P require both drice and dronc to complete development. They do not require Dcp1, although this effector caspase also can cleave dSREBP in vitro. Cleavage of dSREBP by Drice releases the amino-terminal transcription factor domain of dSREBP to travel to the nucleus where it mediates the increased transcription of target genes needed for lipid synthesis and uptake. Drice-dependent activation of dSREBP explains why flies lacking dS2P are viable, and flies lacking dSREBP itself are not.

Endocycling cells do not apoptose in response to DNA rereplication genotoxic stress

Initiation of DNA replication at origins more than once per cell cycle results in rereplication and has been implicated in cancer. Here we use Drosophila to examine the checkpoint responses to rereplication in a developmental context. We find that increased Double-parked (Dup), the Drosophila ortholog of Cdt1, results in rereplication and DNA damage. In most cells, this rereplication triggers caspase activation and apoptotic cell death mediated by both p53-dependent and -independent pathways. Elevated Dup also caused DNA damage in endocycling cells, which switch to a G/S cycle during normal development, indicating that rereplication and the endocycling DNA reduplication program are distinct processes. Unexpectedly, however, endocycling cells do not apoptose regardless of tissue type. Our combined evidence suggests that endocycling apoptosis is repressed in part because proapoptotic gene promoters are silenced. Normal endocycling cells had DNA lesions near heterochromatin, which increased after rereplication, explaining why endocycling cells must constantly repress the genotoxic apoptotic response. Our results reveal a novel regulation of apoptosis in development and new insights into the little-understood endocycle. Similar mechanisms may operate during vertebrate development, with implications for cancer predisposition in certain tissues.

The Jekyll and Hyde functions of caspases

Apoptosis is an ancient form of regulated cell death that functions under pathological and nonpathological contexts in all metazoans. More than a decade of intense research has led to extensive characterization of the core molecular mechanisms for apoptotic cell death. This includes the identification of a family of cysteine proteases, caspases, which are critical for the execution of apoptosis. Whereas completion of the proteolytic caspase cascade leads to elimination of a cell by apoptosis, caspase activation, when finely tuned, directs alternative cellular functions independent of cell death. Exciting recent developments have focused on uncovering nonapoptotic roles of caspases ranging from immune regulation to spermatogenesis, in highly specialized cellular frameworks.

Genetic control of programmed cell death (apoptosis) in Drosophila

Programmed cell death, or apoptosis, is a highly conserved cellular process that has been intensively investigated in nematodes, flies and mammals. The genetic conservation, the low redundancy, the feasibility for high-throughput genetic screens and the identification of temporally and spatially regulated apoptotic responses make Drosophila melanogaster a great model for the study of apoptosis. Here, we review the key players of the cell death pathway in Drosophila and discuss their roles in apoptotic and non-apoptotic processes.

Hsp60D is essential for caspase-mediated induced apoptosis in Drosophila melanogaster

Apart from their roles as chaperones, heat shock proteins are involved in other vital activities including apoptosis with mammalian Hsp60 being ascribed proapoptotic as well as antiapoptotic roles. Using conditional RNAi or overexpression of Hsp60D, a member of the Hsp60 family in Drosophila melanogaster, we show that the downregulation of this protein blocks caspase-dependent induced apoptosis. GMR-Gal4-driven RNAi for Hsp60D in developing eyes dominantly suppressed cell death caused by expression of Reaper, Hid, or Grim (RHG), the key activators of canonical cell death pathway. Likewise, Hsp60D-RNAi rescued cell death induced by GMR-Gal4-directed expression of full-length and activated DRONC. Overexpression of Hsp60D enhanced cell death induced either by directed expression of RHG or DRONC. However, the downregulation of Hsp60D failed to suppress apoptosis caused by unguarded caspases in DIAP1-RNAi flies. Furthermore, in DIAP1-RNAi background, Hsp60D-RNAi also failed to inhibit apoptosis induced by RHG expression. The Hsp60 and DIAP1 show diffuse and distinct granular overlapping distributions in the photoreceptor cells with the bulk of both proteins being outside the mitochondria. Depletion of either of these proteins disrupts the granular distribution of the other. We suggest that in the absence of Hsp60D, DIAP1 is unable to dissociate from effecter and executioner caspases, which thus remain inactive.

Caspase-independent cell death: leaving the set without the final cut

Apoptosis is dependent upon caspase activation leading to substrate cleavage and, ultimately, cell death. Although required for the apoptotic phenotype, it has become apparent that cells frequently die even when caspase function is blocked. This process, termed caspase-independent cell death (CICD), occurs in response to most intrinsic apoptotic cues, provided that mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization has occurred. Death receptor ligation can also trigger a form of CICD termed necroptosis. In this review, we will examine the molecular mechanisms governing CICD, highlight recent findings demonstrating recovery from conditions of CICD and discuss potential pathophysiological functions of these processes.

Warts is required for PI3K-regulated growth arrest, autophagy, and autophagic cell death in Drosophila

BACKGROUND

Cell growth arrest and autophagy are required for autophagic cell death in Drosophila. Maintenance of growth by expression of either activated Ras, Dp110, or Akt is sufficient to inhibit autophagy and cell death in Drosophila salivary glands, but the mechanism that controls growth arrest is unknown. Although the Warts (Wts) tumor suppressor is a critical regulator of tissue growth in animals, it is not clear how this signaling pathway controls cell growth.

RESULTS

Here, we show that genes in the Wts pathway are required for salivary gland degradation and that wts mutants have defects in cell growth arrest, caspase activity, and autophagy. Expression of Atg1, a regulator of autophagy, in salivary glands is sufficient to rescue wts mutant salivary gland destruction. Surprisingly, expression of Yorkie (Yki) and Scalloped (Sd) in salivary glands fails to phenocopy wts mutants. By contrast, misexpression of the Yki target bantam was able to inhibit salivary gland cell death, even though mutations in bantam fail to suppress the wts mutant salivary gland-persistence phenotype. Significantly, wts mutant salivary glands possess altered phosphoinositide signaling, and decreased function of the class I PI3K-pathway genes chico and TOR suppressed wts defects in cell death.

CONCLUSIONS

Although we have previously shown that salivary gland degradation requires genes in the Wts pathway, this study provides the first evidence that Wts influences autophagy. Our data indicate that the Wts-pathway components Yki, Sd, and bantam fail to function in salivary glands and that Wts regulates salivary gland cell death in a PI3K-dependent manner.

Apoptosis-induced compensatory proliferation. The Cell is dead. Long live the Cell!

In multi-cellular organisms, activation of apoptosis can trigger compensatory proliferation in surrounding cells to maintain tissue homeostasis. Genetic studies in Drosophila have indicated that distinct mechanisms of compensatory proliferation are employed in apoptotic tissues of different developmental states. In proliferating eye and wing tissues, the initiator caspase Dronc coordinates cell death and compensatory proliferation through the Jun N-terminal kinase and p53. The mitogens Decapentaplegic and Wingless are induced in this process. By contrast, in differentiating eye tissues, the effector caspases DrICE and Dcp-1 activate the Hedgehog signaling pathway to induce compensatory proliferation. In this review, we summarize these findings and discuss how activation of apoptosis is linked to the process of compensatory proliferation. The developmental and pathological relevance of compensatory proliferation is also discussed.

The cell biology of autophagy in metazoans: a developing story

The cell biological phenomenon of autophagy (or ;self-eating') has attracted increasing attention in recent years. In this review, we first address the cell biological functions of autophagy, and then discuss recent insights into the role of autophagy in animal development, particularly in C. elegans, Drosophila and mouse. Work in these and other model systems has also provided evidence for the involvement of autophagy in disease processes, such as neurodegeneration, tumorigenesis, pathogenic infection and aging. Insights gained from investigating the functions of autophagy in normal development should increase our understanding of its roles in human disease and its potential as a target for therapeutic intervention.

Distinct mechanisms of apoptosis-induced compensatory proliferation in proliferating and differentiating tissues in the Drosophila eye

In multicellular organisms, apoptotic cells induce compensatory proliferation of neighboring cells to maintain tissue homeostasis. In the Drosophila wing imaginal disc, dying cells trigger compensatory proliferation through secretion of the mitogens Decapentaplegic (Dpp) and Wingless (Wg). This process is under control of the initiator caspase Dronc, but not effector caspases. Here we show that a second mechanism of apoptosis-induced compensatory proliferation exists. This mechanism is dependent on effector caspases which trigger the activation of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling for compensatory proliferation. Furthermore, whereas Dpp and Wg signaling is preferentially employed in apoptotic proliferating tissues, Hh signaling is activated in differentiating eye tissues. Interestingly, effector caspases in photoreceptor neurons stimulate Hh signaling which triggers cell-cycle reentry of cells that had previously exited the cell cycle. In summary, dependent on the developmental potential of the affected tissue, different caspases trigger distinct forms of compensatory proliferation in an apparent nonapoptotic function.

Growth arrest and autophagy are required for salivary gland cell degradation in Drosophila

Autophagy is a catabolic process that is negatively regulated by growth and has been implicated in cell death. We find that autophagy is induced following growth arrest and precedes developmental autophagic cell death of Drosophila salivary glands. Maintaining growth by expression of either activated Ras or positive regulators of the class I phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway inhibits autophagy and blocks salivary gland cell degradation. Developmental degradation of salivary glands is also inhibited in autophagy gene (atg) mutants. Caspases are active in PI3K-expressing and atg mutant salivary glands, and combined inhibition of both autophagy and caspases increases suppression of gland degradation. Further, induction of autophagy is sufficient to induce premature cell death in a caspase-independent manner. Our results provide in vivo evidence that growth arrest, autophagy, and atg genes are required for physiological autophagic cell death and that multiple degradation pathways cooperate in the efficient clearance of cells during development.

A ubiquitin ligase complex regulates caspase activation during sperm differentiation in Drosophila

In both insects and mammals, spermatids eliminate their bulk cytoplasm as they undergo terminal differentiation. In Drosophila, this process of dramatic cellular remodeling requires apoptotic proteins, including caspases. To gain further insight into the regulation of caspases, we screened a large collection of sterile male flies for mutants that block effector caspase activation at the onset of spermatid individualization. Here, we describe the identification and characterization of a testis-specific, Cullin-3-dependent ubiquitin ligase complex that is required for caspase activation in spermatids. Mutations in either a testis-specific isoform of Cullin-3 (Cul3(Testis)), the small RING protein Roc1b, or a Drosophila orthologue of the mammalian BTB-Kelch protein Klhl10 all reduce or eliminate effector caspase activation in spermatids. Importantly, all three genes encode proteins that can physically interact to form a ubiquitin ligase complex. Roc1b binds to the catalytic core of Cullin-3, and Klhl10 binds specifically to a unique testis-specific N-terminal Cullin-3 (TeNC) domain of Cul3(Testis) that is required for activation of effector caspase in spermatids. Finally, the BIR domain region of the giant inhibitor of apoptosis-like protein dBruce is sufficient to bind to Klhl10, which is consistent with the idea that dBruce is a substrate for the Cullin-3-based E3-ligase complex. These findings reveal a novel role of Cullin-based ubiquitin ligases in caspase regulation.

The testis-specific proteasome subunit Prosalpha6T of D. melanogaster is required for individualization and nuclear maturation during spermatogenesis

Most regulated proteolysis in eukaryotes is carried out by the 26S proteasome. This large, multisubunit complex comprises a catalytic core particle (20S proteasome) and a regulatory particle (19S regulator) capping each end. In Drosophila, about a third of the 32 proteasome subunits are found to have testis-specific isoforms, encoded by paralogous genes. Here, we characterize in detail the spermatogenic expression of the core particle subunit Prosalpha6 (Pros35) and its testis-specific isoform Prosalpha6T. Using GFP-tagged transgenes, it is shown that whereas the Prosalpha6 subunit is expressed in early stages of spermatogenesis, gradually fading away following meiosis, the testis-specific Prosalpha6T becomes prominent in spermatid nuclei and cytoplasm after meiosis, and persists in mature sperm. In addition, these subunits are found in numerous ;speckles' near individualization complexes, similar to the previously described expression pattern of the caspase Dronc (Nedd2-like caspase), suggesting a link to the apoptosis pathway. We also studied the phenotypes of a loss-of-function mutant of Prosalpha6T generated by targeted homologous recombination. Homozygous males are sterile and show spermatogenic defects in sperm individualization and nuclear maturation, consistent with the expression pattern of Prosalpha6T. The results demonstrate a functional role of testis-specific proteasomes during Drosophila spermatogenesis.

Gtdap-1 promotes autophagy and is required for planarian remodeling during regeneration and starvation

Remodeling is an integral component of tissue homeostasis and regeneration. In planarians, these processes occur constantly in a simple tractable model organism as part of the animal's normal life history. Here, we have studied the gene Gtdap-1, the planarian ortholog of human death-associated protein-1 or DAP-1. DAP-1, together with DAP-kinase, has been identified as a positive mediator of programmed cell death induced by gamma-IFN in HeLa cells. Although the function of DAP-kinase is well characterized, the role of DAP-1 has not been studied in detail. Our findings suggest that Gtdap-1 is involved in autophagy in planarians, and that autophagy plays an essential role in the remodeling of the organism that occurs during regeneration and starvation, providing the necessary energy and building blocks to the neoblasts for cell proliferation and differentiation. The gene functions at the interface between survival and cell death during stress-inducing processes like regeneration and starvation in sexual and asexual races of planarians. Our findings provide insights into the complex interconnections among cell proliferation, homeostasis, and cell death in planarians and perspectives for the understanding of neoblast stem cell dynamics.