Non-apoptotic enteroblast-specific role of the initiator caspase Dronc for development and homeostasis of the Drosophila intestine

Abstract The initiator caspase Dronc is the only CARD-domain containing caspase in Drosophila and is essential for apoptosis. Here, we report that homozygous dronc mutant adult animals are short-lived due to the presence of a poorly developed, defective and leaky intestine. Interestingly, this mutan...

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Autores principales: Jillian L. Lindblad, Meghana Tare, Alla Amcheslavsky, Alicia Shields, Andreas Bergmann
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Nature Portfolio 2021
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Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/1e7b8635b7c346bc9c000cad7a5eb057
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Sumario:Abstract The initiator caspase Dronc is the only CARD-domain containing caspase in Drosophila and is essential for apoptosis. Here, we report that homozygous dronc mutant adult animals are short-lived due to the presence of a poorly developed, defective and leaky intestine. Interestingly, this mutant phenotype can be significantly rescued by enteroblast-specific expression of dronc + in dronc mutant animals, suggesting that proper Dronc function specifically in enteroblasts, one of four cell types in the intestine, is critical for normal development of the intestine. Furthermore, enteroblast-specific knockdown of dronc in adult intestines triggers hyperplasia and differentiation defects. These enteroblast-specific functions of Dronc do not require the apoptotic pathway and thus occur in a non-apoptotic manner. In summary, we demonstrate that an apoptotic initiator caspase has a very critical non-apoptotic function for normal development and for the control of the cell lineage in the adult midgut and therefore for proper physiology and homeostasis.