Regulation of imaginal disc cell size, cell number and organ size by Drosophila class I(A) phosphoinositide 3-kinase and its adaptor

Role of Drosophila retinoblastoma protein instability element in cell growth and proliferation

The RB tumor suppressor, a regulator of the cell cycle, apoptosis, senescence, and differentiation, is frequently mutated in human cancers. We recently described an evolutionarily conserved C-terminal "instability element" (IE) of the Drosophila Rbf1 retinoblastoma protein that regulates its turnover. Misexpression of wild-type or non-phosphorylatable forms of the Rbf1 protein leads to repression of cell cycle genes. In contrast, overexpression of a defective form of Rbf1 lacking the IE (ΔIE), a stabilized but transcriptionally less active form of the protein, induced ectopic S phase in cell culture. To determine how mutations in the Rbf1 IE may induce dominant effects in a developmental context, we assessed the impact of in vivo expression of mutant Rbf1 proteins on wing development. ΔIE expression resulted in overgrowth of larval wing imaginal discs and larger adult wings containing larger cells. In contrast, a point mutation in a conserved lysine of the IE (K774A) generated severely disrupted, reduced wings. These contrasting effects appear to correlate with control of apoptosis; expression of the pro-apoptotic reaper gene and DNA fragmentation measured by acridine orange stain increased in flies expressing the K774A isoform and was suppressed by expression of Rbf1ΔIE. Intriguingly, cancer associated mutations affecting RB homologs p130 and p107 may similarly induce dominant phenotypes.

Drosophila Lipin interacts with insulin and TOR signaling pathways in the control of growth and lipid metabolism

Lipin proteins have key functions in lipid metabolism, acting as both phosphatidate phosphatases (PAPs) and nuclear regulators of gene expression. We show that the insulin and TORC1 pathways independently control functions of Drosophila Lipin (dLipin). Reduced signaling through the insulin receptor strongly enhanced defects caused by dLipin deficiency in fat body development, whereas reduced signaling through TORC1 led to translocation of dLipin into the nucleus. Reduced expression of dLipin resulted in decreased signaling through the insulin-receptor-controlled PI3K-Akt pathway and increased hemolymph sugar levels. Consistent with this, downregulation of dLipin in fat body cell clones caused a strong growth defect. The PAP but not the nuclear activity of dLipin was required for normal insulin pathway activity. Reduction of other enzymes of the glycerol-3 phosphate pathway affected insulin pathway activity in a similar manner, suggesting an effect that is mediated by one or more metabolites associated with the pathway. Taken together, our data show that dLipin is subject to intricate control by the insulin and TORC1 pathways, and that the cellular status of dLipin impacts how fat body cells respond to signals relayed through the PI3K-Akt pathway.

Scaling the Drosophila Wing: TOR-Dependent Target Gene Access by the Hippo Pathway Transducer Yorkie

Organ growth is controlled by patterning signals that operate locally (e.g., Wingless/Ints [Wnts], Bone Morphogenetic Proteins [BMPs], and Hedgehogs [Hhs]) and scaled by nutrient-dependent signals that act systemically (e.g., Insulin-like peptides [ILPs] transduced by the Target of Rapamycin [TOR] pathway). How cells integrate these distinct inputs to generate organs of the appropriate size and shape is largely unknown. The transcriptional coactivator Yorkie (Yki, a YES-Associated Protein, or YAP) acts downstream of patterning morphogens and other tissue-intrinsic signals to promote organ growth. Yki activity is regulated primarily by the Warts/Hippo (Wts/Hpo) tumour suppressor pathway, which impedes nuclear access of Yki by a cytoplasmic tethering mechanism. Here, we show that the TOR pathway regulates Yki by a separate and novel mechanism in the Drosophila wing. Instead of controlling Yki nuclear access, TOR signaling governs Yki action after it reaches the nucleus by allowing it to gain access to its target genes. When TOR activity is inhibited, Yki accumulates in the nucleus but is sequestered from its normal growth-promoting target genes—a phenomenon we term “nuclear seclusion.” Hence, we posit that in addition to its well-known role in stimulating cellular metabolism in response to nutrients, TOR also promotes wing growth by liberating Yki from nuclear seclusion, a parallel pathway that we propose contributes to the scaling of wing size with nutrient availability.

From dwarves to giants, scaling is a universal property of animal organs, but its mechanistic basis is poorly understood. Here, the authors identify a molecular circuit underlying scaling of the Drosophila wing.

What mechanisms control the sizes of animal organs? It is known that organ growth is the product of two systems: an intrinsic system that coordinates cell proliferation with the specification of cell fate (patterning), and an extrinsic system that synchronizes growth with nutrient levels. Developing organs integrate these two inputs to ensure that properly proportioned structures develop which are of the right scale to match overall body size. However, the mechanisms used to integrate these distinct growth control systems have remained largely mysterious. In this study, we have addressed how intrinsic and extrinsic systems combine to drive growth of the Drosophila wing. Focusing on the Target of Rapamycin (TOR) pathway—a major, nutrient-dependent regulator of organ growth—and Yorkie—the transcriptional activator downstream of the Hippo pathway and a key, organ-intrinsic growth regulator—we have identified a circuit in which TOR activity limits Yorkie’s capacity to promote wing growth, in part through a novel mode of transcription factor regulation that we term “nuclear seclusion.” We find that inhibiting TOR leads to the retention of Yorkie in the nucleus but diminishes its transcriptional activity by diverting it away from target genes. We posit that subjugating Yorkie in this way contributes to how fluctuations in TOR activity scale wing size according to nutrient levels.

Drosophila Longevity Assurance Conferred by Reduced Insulin Receptor Substrate Chico Partially Requires d4eBP

Mutations of the insulin/IGF signaling (IIS) pathway extend Drosophila lifespan. Based on genetic epistasis analyses, this longevity assurance is attributed to downstream effects of the FOXO transcription factor. However, as reported FOXO accounts for only a portion of the observed longevity benefit, suggesting there are additional outputs of IIS to mediate aging. One candidate is target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1). Reduced TORC1 activity is reported to slow aging, whereas reduced IIS is reported to repress TORC1 activity. The eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E binding protein (4E-BP) is repressed by TORC1, and activated 4E-BP is reported to increase Drosophila lifespan. Here we use genetic epistasis analyses to test whether longevity assurance mutants of chico, the Drosophila insulin receptor substrate homolog, require Drosophila d4eBP to slow aging. In chico heterozygotes, which are robustly long-lived, d4eBP is required but not sufficient to slow aging. Remarkably, d4eBP is not required or sufficient for chico homozygotes to extend longevity. Likewise, chico heterozygote females partially require d4eBP to preserve age-dependent locomotion, and both chico genotypes require d4eBP to improve stress-resistance. Reproduction and most measures of growth affected by either chico genotype are always independent of d4eBP. In females, chico heterozygotes paradoxically produce more rather than less phosphorylated 4E-BP (p4E-BP). Altered IRS function within the IIS pathway of Drosophila appears to have partial, conditional capacity to regulate aging through an unconventional interaction with 4E-BP.

Starvation promotes concerted modulation of appetitive olfactory behavior via parallel neuromodulatory circuits

The internal state of an organism influences its perception of attractive or aversive stimuli and thus promotes adaptive behaviors that increase its likelihood of survival. The mechanisms underlying these perceptual shifts are critical to our understanding of how neural circuits support animal cognition and behavior. Starved flies exhibit enhanced sensitivity to attractive odors and reduced sensitivity to aversive odors. Here, we show that a functional remodeling of the olfactory map is mediated by two parallel neuromodulatory systems that act in opposing directions on olfactory attraction and aversion at the level of the first synapse. Short neuropeptide F sensitizes an antennal lobe glomerulus wired for attraction, while tachykinin (DTK) suppresses activity of a glomerulus wired for aversion. Thus we show parallel neuromodulatory systems functionally reconfigure early olfactory processing to optimize detection of nutrients at the risk of ignoring potentially toxic food resources.

The Unique Non-Catalytic C-Terminus of P37delta-PI3K Adds Proliferative Properties In Vitro and In Vivo

The PI3K/Akt pathway is central for numerous cellular functions and is frequently deregulated in human cancers. The catalytic subunits of PI3K, p110, are thought to have a potential oncogenic function, and the regulatory subunit p85 exerts tumor suppressor properties. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a highly suitable system to investigate PI3K signaling, expressing one catalytic, Dp110, and one regulatory subunit, Dp60, and both show strong homology with the human PI3K proteins p110 and p85. We recently showed that p37δ, an alternatively spliced product of human PI3K p110δ, displayed strong proliferation-promoting properties despite lacking the catalytic domain completely. Here we functionally evaluate the different domains of human p37δ in Drosophila. The N-terminal region of Dp110 alone promotes cell proliferation, and we show that the unique C-terminal region of human p37δ further enhances these proliferative properties, both when expressed in Drosophila, and in human HEK-293 cells. Surprisingly, although the N-terminal region of Dp110 and the C-terminal region of p37δ both display proliferative effects, over-expression of full length Dp110 or the N-terminal part of Dp110 decreases survival in Drosophila, whereas the unique C-terminal region of p37δ prevents this effect. Furthermore, we found that the N-terminal region of the catalytic subunit of PI3K p110, including only the Dp60 (p85)-binding domain and a minor part of the Ras binding domain, rescues phenotypes with severely impaired development caused by Dp60 over-expression in Drosophila, possibly by regulating the levels of Dp60, and also by increasing the levels of phosphorylated Akt. Our results indicate a novel kinase-independent function of the PI3K catalytic subunit.

A single-cross, RNA interference-based genetic tool for examining the long-term maintenance of homeostatic plasticity

Homeostatic synaptic plasticity (HSP) helps neurons and synapses maintain physiologically appropriate levels of output. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a valuable model for studying HSP. Here we introduce a genetic tool that allows fruit fly researchers to examine the lifelong maintenance of HSP with a single cross. The tool is a fruit fly stock that combines the GAL4/UAS expression system with RNA interference (RNAi)-based knock down of a glutamate receptor subunit gene. With this stock, we uncover important new information about the maintenance of HSP. We address an open question about the role that presynaptic Ca_V2-type Ca²⁺ channels play in NMJ homeostasis. Published experiments have demonstrated that hypomorphic missense mutations in the Ca_V2 α1a subunit gene cacophony (cac) can impair homeostatic plasticity at the NMJ. Here we report that reducing cac expression levels by RNAi is not sufficient to impair homeostatic plasticity. The presence of wild-type channels appears to support HSP—even when total Ca_V2 function is severely reduced. We also conduct an RNAi- and electrophysiology-based screen to identify new factors required for sustained homeostatic signaling throughout development. We uncover novel roles in HSP for Drosophila homologs of Cysteine string protein (CSP) and Phospholipase Cβ (Plc21C). We characterize those roles through follow-up genetic tests. We discuss how CSP, Plc21C, and associated factors could modulate presynaptic Ca_V2 function, presynaptic Ca²⁺ handling, or other signaling processes crucial for sustained homeostatic regulation of NMJ function throughout development. Our findings expand the scope of signaling pathways and processes that contribute to the durable strength of the NMJ.

Developmental mechanisms of body size and wing-body scaling in insects

The developmental mechanisms that control body size and the relative sizes of body parts are today best understood in insects. Size is controlled by the mechanisms that cause growth to stop when a size characteristic of the species has been achieved. This requires the mechanisms to assess size and respond by stopping the process that controls growth. Growth is controlled by two hormones, insulin and ecdysone, that act synergistically by controlling cell growth and cell division. Ecdysone has two distinct functions: At low concentration it controls growth, and at high levels it causes molting and tissue differentiation. Growth is stopped by the pulse of ecdysone that initiates the metamorphic molt. Body size is sensed by either stretch receptors or oxygen restriction, depending on the species, which stimulate the high level of ecdysone secretion that induces a molt. Wing growth occurs mostly after the body has stopped growing. Wing size is adjusted to body size by variation in both the duration and level of ecdysone secretion.

Phosphoinositide signalling in Drosophila

Phosphoinositides (PtdInsPs) are lipids that mediate a range of conserved cellular processes in eukaryotes. These include the transduction of ligand binding to cell surface receptors, vesicular transport and cytoskeletal function. The nature and functions of PtdInsPs were initially elucidated through biochemical experiments in mammalian cells. However, over the years, genetic and cell biological analysis in a range of model organisms including S. cerevisiae, D. melanogaster and C. elegans have contributed to an understanding of the involvement of PtdInsPs in these cellular events. The fruit fly Drosophila is an excellent genetic model for the analysis of cell and developmental biology as well as physiological processes, particularly analysis of the complex relationship between the cell types of a metazoan in mediating animal physiology. PtdInsP signalling pathways are underpinned by enzymes that synthesise and degrade these molecules and also by proteins that bind to these lipids in cells. In this review we provide an overview of the current understanding of PtdInsP signalling in Drosophila. We provide a comparative genomic analysis of the PtdInsP signalling toolkit between Drosophila and mammalian systems. We also review some areas of cell and developmental biology where analysis in Drosophila might provide insights into the role of this lipid-signalling pathway in metazoan biology. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Phosphoinositides.

Unkempt is negatively regulated by mTOR and uncouples neuronal differentiation from growth control

Neuronal differentiation is exquisitely controlled both spatially and temporally during nervous system development. Defects in the spatiotemporal control of neurogenesis cause incorrect formation of neural networks and lead to neurological disorders such as epilepsy and autism. The mTOR kinase integrates signals from mitogens, nutrients and energy levels to regulate growth, autophagy and metabolism. We previously identified the insulin receptor (InR)/mTOR pathway as a critical regulator of the timing of neuronal differentiation in the Drosophila melanogaster eye. Subsequently, this pathway has been shown to play a conserved role in regulating neurogenesis in vertebrates. However, the factors that mediate the neurogenic role of this pathway are completely unknown. To identify downstream effectors of the InR/mTOR pathway we screened transcriptional targets of mTOR for neuronal differentiation phenotypes in photoreceptor neurons. We identified the conserved gene unkempt (unk), which encodes a zinc finger/RING domain containing protein, as a negative regulator of the timing of photoreceptor differentiation. Loss of unk phenocopies InR/mTOR pathway activation and unk acts downstream of this pathway to regulate neurogenesis. In contrast to InR/mTOR signalling, unk does not regulate growth. unk therefore uncouples the role of the InR/mTOR pathway in neurogenesis from its role in growth control. We also identified the gene headcase (hdc) as a second downstream regulator of the InR/mTOR pathway controlling the timing of neurogenesis. Unk forms a complex with Hdc, and Hdc expression is regulated by unk and InR/mTOR signalling. Co-overexpression of unk and hdc completely suppresses the precocious neuronal differentiation phenotype caused by loss of Tsc1. Thus, Unk and Hdc are the first neurogenic components of the InR/mTOR pathway to be identified. Finally, we show that Unkempt-like is expressed in the developing mouse retina and in neural stem/progenitor cells, suggesting that the role of Unk in neurogenesis may be conserved in mammals.

The development of a functional nervous system requires that nerve cells are generated at exactly the right time and place to be correctly integrated. Defects in the timing at which nerve cells are generated, or ‘differentiate’, lead to neurological disorders such as epilepsy and autism. However, very little is known about the identity of the genes that control the timing of nerve cell differentiation. Using developing photoreceptor nerves in the eye of the fruit fly, Drosophila, as a model, we showed previously that a molecular pathway known as ‘mTOR signalling’ is a key regulator of the timing of differentiation. In this study we have identified two new genes, unkempt and headcase, which control the timing of photoreceptor differentiation in Drosophila. The activity of unkempt and headcase is controlled by mTOR signalling and it is through these genes that mTOR is able to control nerve cell differentiation. The proteins encoded by unkempt and headcase form a complex and act synergistically to control the development of Drosophila photoreceptors. mTOR signalling controls a number of important cellular processes, but unkempt and headcase are the first components of this pathway to be identified that control nerve cell differentiation.

Multigenerational genomic responses to dietary phosphorus and temperature in Daphnia

Temperature and nutrient availability are both hypothesized to affect organisms at the cellular and genomic levels. In this multigenerational study, Daphnia magna (D. magna) and Daphnia pulex (D. pulex) were maintained at high (20 °C) and low (10 °C) temperatures and nourished with phosphorus (P)-sufficient (50 μmol/L) and P-deficient (2 μmol/L) algae for up to 35 generations to assess the multigenerational impacts on genome size and nucleus size. Analysis by flow cytometry revealed significant increases in nucleus size for both species as well as genome size for D. magna in response to a low temperature. The degree of endoreplication, measured as cycle value, was species specific and responded to temperature and dietary composition. Under dietary P deficiency, D. magna, but not D. pulex, showed an apparent reduction in haploid genome size (C-value). These genomic responses are unlikely to reflect differences in nucleotide numbers, but rather structural changes affecting fluorochrome binding. While the ultimate and proximate causes of these responses are unknown, they suggest an intriguing potential for genomic responses that merits further research.

Socializing with MYC: cell competition in development and as a model for premalignant cancer

Studies in Drosophila and mammals have made it clear that genetic mutations that arise in somatic tissues are rapidly recognized and eliminated, suggesting that cellular fitness is tightly monitored. During development, damaged, mutant, or otherwise unfit cells are prevented from contributing to the tissue and are instructed to die, whereas healthy cells benefit and populate the animal. This cell selection process, known as cell competition, eliminates somatic genetic heterogeneity and promotes tissue fitness during development. Yet cell competition also has a dark side. Super competition can be exploited by incipient cancers to subvert cellular cooperation and promote selfish behavior. Evidence is accumulating that MYC plays a key role in regulation of social behavior within tissues. Given the high number of tumors with deregulated MYC, studies of cell competition promise to yield insight into how the local environment yields to and participates in the early stages of tumor formation.

The developmental control of size in insects

The mechanisms that control the sizes of a body and its many parts remain among the great puzzles in developmental biology. Why do animals grow to a species-specific body size, and how is the relative growth of their body parts controlled to so they grow to the right size, and in the correct proportion with body size, giving an animal its species-characteristic shape? Control of size must involve mechanisms that somehow assess some aspect of size and are upstream of mechanisms that regulate growth. These mechanisms are now beginning to be understood in the insects, in particular in Manduca sexta and Drosophila melanogaster. The control of size requires control of the rate of growth and control of the cessation of growth. Growth is controlled by genetic and environmental factors. Insulin and ecdysone, their receptors, and intracellular signaling pathways are the principal genetic regulators of growth. The secretion of these growth hormones, in turn, is controlled by complex interactions of other endocrine and molecular mechanisms, by environmental factors such as nutrition, and by the physiological mechanisms that sense body size. Although the general mechanisms of growth regulation appear to be widely shared, the mechanisms that regulate final size can be quite diverse.

Nutrient restriction enhances the proliferative potential of cells lacking the tumor suppressor PTEN in mitotic tissues

How single cells in a mitotic tissue progressively acquire hallmarks of cancer is poorly understood. We exploited mitotic recombination in developing Drosophila imaginal tissues to analyze the behavior of cells devoid of the tumor suppressor PTEN, a negative regulator of PI3K signaling, under varying nutritional conditions. Cells lacking PTEN strongly overproliferated specifically in nutrient restricted larvae. Although the PTEN mutant cells were sensitive to starvation, they successfully competed with neighboring cells by autonomous and non-autonomous mechanisms distinct from cell competition. The overgrowth was strictly dependent on the activity of the downstream components Akt/PKB and TORC1, and a reduction in amino acid uptake by reducing the levels of the amino acid transporter Slimfast caused clones of PTEN mutant cells to collapse. Our findings demonstrate how limiting nutritional conditions impact on cells lacking the tumor suppressor PTEN to cause hyperplastic overgrowth.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00380.001

Mutations are permanent changes to a cell’s genome. If one or more mutations result in a cell proliferating in an unregulated manner, it is referred to as a cancer cell. The generation of cancer cells is a relatively common occurrence within organisms, but these rogue cells are generally recognized and destroyed by the organism’s immune system. However, when the immune system fails to identify and eliminate cancer cells, they can proliferate to form malignant, life-threatening tumors.

Mutations in a gene called PTEN are often found within cells that develop into cancerous tumors. This gene is normally expressed as a protein that is involved in the regulation of cell division, preventing cells from growing and dividing too quickly. However, when the protein PTEN is absent or non-functional, cells experience enhanced growth, proliferation, and survival. Such cells are also thought to be resistant to nutrient restriction, but the mechanism responsible for this resistance is not well understood.

Here, Nowak et al. investigate the behavior of cells lacking PTEN in a fly model under a variety of nutritional conditions. When the supply of nutrients is limited, cells lacking PTEN shift resources from cell growth to cell multiplication. This appears to allow PTEN-deficient cells to outcompete neighboring wild-type cells; Nowak et al. suggest these rapidly proliferating cells are capable of effectively hoarding nutrient stores, both in their immediate vicinity and organism-wide. Further studies that focus on changes in gene expression may be able to uncover the mechanism that allows PTEN-deficient cells to proliferate when nutrients are restricted. Moreover, by shedding light on a factor that has an important influence on tumor development, these results may have implications for cancer treatment strategies.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00380.002

Astragalus polysaccharide improves muscle atrophy from dexamethasone- and peroxide-induced injury in vitro

Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) is an important bioactive component of Astragalus membranaceus Bunge (Leguminosae) that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating muscle wasting, a serious complication with complex mechanism manifested as myofibers atrophy and satellite cells apoptosis. In this study, the anti-atrophy and anti-apoptotic activity of Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) was characterized in C2C12 skeletal muscle myotubes and myoblasts. APS inhibited dexamethasone-induced atrophy by restoring phosphorylation of Akt, m-TOR, P70s6k, rpS6 and FoxO3A/FoxO1. The targets that protected C2C12 myoblasts from damage by H2O2 were promoting cells proliferation and inhibiting cells apoptosis. The protective mechanisms involved mitochondrial pathway and death receptor pathway. Moreover, Antioxidant effect of APS was also detected in this work. Our findings suggested that APS could be explored as a protective and perhaps as a therapeutic agent in the management of muscle wasting.

Receptor tyrosine kinases in Drosophila development

Tyrosine phosphorylation plays a significant role in a wide range of cellular processes. The Drosophila genome encodes more than 20 receptor tyrosine kinases and extensive studies in the past 20 years have illustrated their diverse roles and complex signaling mechanisms. Although some receptor tyrosine kinases have highly specific functions, others strikingly are used in rather ubiquitous manners. Receptor tyrosine kinases regulate a broad expanse of processes, ranging from cell survival and proliferation to differentiation and patterning. Remarkably, different receptor tyrosine kinases share many of the same effectors and their hierarchical organization is retained in disparate biological contexts. In this comprehensive review, we summarize what is known regarding each receptor tyrosine kinase during Drosophila development. Astonishingly, very little is known for approximately half of all Drosophila receptor tyrosine kinases.

Soldier morphogenesis in the damp-wood termite is regulated by the insulin signaling pathway

Eusocial insects exhibit various morphological castes associated with the division of labor within a colony. Termite soldiers possess defensive traits including mandibles that are greatly exaggerated and enlarged, as compared to termite reproductives and workers. The enlarged mandibles of soldiers are known to result from dynamic morphogenesis during soldier differentiation that can be induced by juvenile hormone and its analogs. However, the detailed developmental mechanisms still remain unresolved. Because the insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) pathway has been shown to regulate the relative sizes of organs (i.e., allometry) in other insects, we examined the expression profiles of major IIS factors in the damp-wood termite Hodotermopsis sjostedti, during soldier differentiation. The relative expression patterns of orthologs for termite InR (HsjInR), PKB/Akt (HsjPKB/Akt), and FOXO (HsjFOXO) suggest that HsjInR and HsjPKB/Akt were up-regulated in the period of elongation of mandibles during soldier development. In situ hybridization showed that HsjInR was strongly expressed in the mandibular epithelial tissues, and RNA interference (RNAi) for HsjInR disrupted soldier-specific morphogenesis including mandibular elongation. These results suggest that signaling through the IIS pathway is required for soldier-specific morphogenesis. In addition, up-regulation of the IIS pathway in other body tissues occurred at earlier stages of development, indicating that there is tissue-specific IIS regulation. Because the IIS pathway is generally thought to act upstream of JH in insects, our results suggest the damp-wood termite may have evolved a novel feedback loop between JH and IIS that enables social interactions, rather than nutrition, to regulate caste determination.

Drosophila p53-related protein kinase is required for PI3K/TOR pathway-dependent growth

Cell growth and proliferation are pivotal for final organ and body size definition. p53-related protein kinase (Bud32/PRPK) has been identified as a protein involved in proliferation through its effects on transcription in yeast and p53 stabilization in human cell culture. However, the physiological function of Bud32/PRPK in metazoans is not well understood. In this work, we have analyzed the role of PRPK in Drosophila development. Drosophila PRPK is expressed in every tissue analyzed and is required to support proliferation and cell growth. The Prpk knockdown animals show phenotypes similar to those found in mutants for positive regulators of the PI3K/TOR pathway. This pathway has been shown to be fundamental for animal growth, transducing the hormonal and nutritional status into the protein translation machinery. Functional interactions have established that Prpk operates as a transducer of the PI3K/TOR pathway, being essential for TOR kinase activation and for the regulation of its targets (S6K and 4E-BP, autophagy and bulk endocytosis). This suggests that Prpk is crucial for stimulating the basal protein biosynthetic machinery in response to insulin signaling and to changes in nutrient availability.

Drosophila miR-277 controls branched-chain amino acid catabolism and affects lifespan

Development, growth and adult survival are coordinated with available metabolic resources, ascertaining that the organism responds appropriately to environmental conditions. MicroRNAs are short (21-23 nt) regulatory RNAs that confer specificity on the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) to inhibit a given set of mRNA targets. We profiled changes in miRNA expression during adult life in Drosophila melanogaster and determined that miR-277 is downregulated during adult life. Molecular analysis revealed that this miRNA controls branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism and as a result it can modulate the activity of the TOR kinase, a central growth regulator, in cultured cells. Metabolite analysis in cultured cells as well as flies suggests that the mechanistic basis may be an accumulation of branched-chain α-keto-acids (BCKA), rather than BCAAs, thus avoiding potentially detrimental consequences of increased branched chain amino acid levels on e.g., translational fidelity. Constitutive miR-277 expression shortens lifespan and is synthetically lethal with reduced insulin signaling, indicating that metabolic control underlies this phenotype. Transgenic inhibition with a miRNA sponge construct also shortens lifespan, in particular on protein-rich food. Thus, optimal metabolic adaptation appears to require tuning of cellular BCAA catabolism by miR-277.

The Lnk/SH2B adaptor provides a fail-safe mechanism to establish the Insulin receptor-Chico interaction

Background

Insulin/insulin-like growth factor signalling (IIS) has been described as one of the major pathways involved in growth control and homeostasis in multicellular organisms. Whereas its core components are well established, less is known about the molecular functions of IIS regulators. The adaptor molecule Lnk/SH2B has been implicated in IIS but the mechanism by which it promotes IIS activity has remained enigmatic.

Results

In this study, we analyse genetic and physical interactions among InR, Chico and Lnk in Drosophila tissues. FRET analysis reveals in vivo binding between all three molecules. Genetically, Lnk acts upstream of Chico. We demonstrate that Chico’s plasma membrane localisation is ensured by both its PH domain and by the interaction with Lnk. Furthermore, Lnk is able to recruit an intracellular InR fragment to the membrane.

Conclusions

Thus, by acting as a scaffolding molecule that ensures InR and Chico enrichment at the membrane, Lnk provides a fail-safe mechanism for IIS activation.

Par3/Bazooka and phosphoinositides regulate actin protrusion formation during Drosophila dorsal closure and wound healing

Effective wound closure mechanisms are essential for maintenance of epithelial structure and function. The repair of wounded epithelia is primarily driven by the cells bordering the wound, which become motile after wounding, forming dynamic actin protrusions along the wound edge. The molecular mechanisms that trigger wound edge cells to become motile following tissue damage are not well understood. Using wound healing and dorsal closure in Drosophila, we identify a direct molecular link between changes in cell-cell adhesion at epithelial edges and induction of actin protrusion formation. We find that the scaffolding protein Par3/Bazooka and the lipid phosphatase Pten are specifically lost from cell-cell junctions at epithelial edges. This results in a localized accumulation of phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3), which promotes the formation of actin protrusions along the epithelial edge. Depleting PIP3 results in defective epithelial closure during both dorsal closure and wound healing. These data reveal a novel mechanism that directly couples loss of epithelial integrity to activation of epithelial closure.

Mutants in Drosophila TRPC channels reduce olfactory sensitivity to carbon dioxide

BACKGROUND

Members of the canonical Transient Receptor Potential (TRPC) class of cationic channels function downstream of Gαq and PLCβ in Drosophila photoreceptors for transducing visual stimuli. Gαq has recently been implicated in olfactory sensing of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) and other odorants. Here we investigated the role of PLCβ and TRPC channels for sensing CO(2) in Drosophila.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Through behavioral assays it was demonstrated that Drosophila mutants for plc21c, trp and trpl have a reduced sensitivity for CO(2). Immuno-histochemical staining for TRP, TRPL and TRPγ indicates that all three channels are expressed in Drosophila antennae including the sensory neurons that express CO(2) receptors. Electrophysiological recordings obtained from the antennae of protein null alleles of TRP (trp(343)) and TRPL (trpl(302)), showed that the sensory response to multiple concentrations of CO(2) was reduced. However, trpl(302); trp(343) double mutants still have a residual response to CO(2). Down-regulation of TRPC channels specifically in CO(2) sensing olfactory neurons reduced the response to CO(2) and this reduction was obtained even upon down-regulation of the TRPCs in adult olfactory sensory neurons. Thus the reduced response to CO(2) obtained from the antennae of TRPC RNAi strains is not due to a developmental defect.

CONCLUSION

These observations show that reduction in TRPC channel function significantly reduces the sensitivity of the olfactory response to CO(2) concentrations of 5% or less in adult Drosophila. It is possible that the CO(2) receptors Gr63a and Gr21a activate the TRPC channels through Gαq and PLC21C.

Concerted control of gliogenesis by InR/TOR and FGF signalling in the Drosophila post-embryonic brain

Glial cells are essential for the development and function of the nervous system. In the mammalian brain, vast numbers of glia of several different functional types are generated during late embryonic and early foetal development. However, the molecular cues that instruct gliogenesis and determine glial cell type are poorly understood. During post-embryonic development, the number of glia in the Drosophila larval brain increases dramatically, potentially providing a powerful model for understanding gliogenesis. Using glial-specific clonal analysis we find that perineural glia and cortex glia proliferate extensively through symmetric cell division in the post-embryonic brain. Using pan-glial inhibition and loss-of-function clonal analysis we find that Insulin-like receptor (InR)/Target of rapamycin (TOR) signalling is required for the proliferation of perineural glia. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signalling is also required for perineural glia proliferation and acts synergistically with the InR/TOR pathway. Cortex glia require InR in part, but not downstream components of the TOR pathway, for proliferation. Moreover, cortex glia absolutely require FGF signalling, such that inhibition of the FGF pathway almost completely blocks the generation of cortex glia. Neuronal expression of the FGF receptor ligand Pyramus is also required for the generation of cortex glia, suggesting a mechanism whereby neuronal FGF expression coordinates neurogenesis and cortex gliogenesis. In summary, we have identified two major pathways that control perineural and cortex gliogenesis in the post-embryonic brain and have shown that the molecular circuitry required is lineage specific.

A mechanism of extreme growth and reliable signaling in sexually selected ornaments and weapons

Many male animals wield ornaments or weapons of exaggerated proportions. We propose that increased cellular sensitivity to signaling through the insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) pathway may be responsible for the extreme growth of these structures. We document how rhinoceros beetle horns, a sexually selected weapon, are more sensitive to nutrition and more responsive to perturbation of the insulin/IGF pathway than other body structures. We then illustrate how enhanced sensitivity to insulin/IGF signaling in a growing ornament or weapon would cause heightened condition sensitivity and increased variability in expression among individuals--critical properties of reliable signals of male quality. The possibility that reliable signaling arises as a by-product of the growth mechanism may explain why trait exaggeration has evolved so many different times in the context of sexual selection.

Akt is negatively regulated by Hippo signaling for growth inhibition in Drosophila

Tissue growth is achieved through coordinated cellular growth, cell division and apoptosis. Hippo signaling is critical for monitoring tissue growth during animal development. Loss of Hippo signaling leads to tissue overgrowth due to continuous cell proliferation and block of apoptosis. As cells lacking Hippo signaling are similar in size compared to normal cells, cellular growth must be properly maintained in Hippo signaling-deficient cells. However, it is not clear how Hippo signaling might regulate cellular growth. Here we show that loss of Hippo signaling increased Akt (also called Protein Kinase B, PKB) expression and activity, whereas activation of Hippo signaling reduced Akt expression in developing tissues in Drosophila. While yorkie (yki) is sufficient to increase Akt expression, Akt up-regulation caused by the loss of Hippo signaling is strongly dependent on yki, indicating that Hippo signaling negatively regulates Akt expression through Yki inhibition. Consistently, genetic analysis revealed that Akt plays a critical role in facilitating growth of Hippo signaling-defective tissues. Thus, Hippo signaling not only blocks cell division and promotes apoptosis, but also regulates cellular growth by inhibiting the Akt pathway activity.

Organ size control by Hippo and TOR pathways

The determination of final organ size is a highly coordinated and complex process that relies on the precise regulation of cell number and/or cell size. Perturbation of organ size control contributes to many human diseases, including hypertrophy, degenerative diseases, and cancer. Hippo and TOR are among the key signaling pathways involved in the regulation of organ size through their respective functions in the regulation of cell number and cell size. Here, we review the general mechanisms that regulate organ growth, describe how Hippo and TOR control key aspects of growth, and discuss recent findings that highlight a possible coordination between Hippo and TOR in organ size regulation.

High-throughput sequencing to reveal genes involved in reproduction and development in Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae)

BACKGROUND

Tephritid fruit flies in the genus Bactrocera are of major economic significance in agriculture causing considerable loss to the fruit and vegetable industry. Currently, there is no ideal control program. Molecular means is an effective method for pest control at present, but genomic or transcriptomic data for members of this genus remains limited. To facilitate molecular research into reproduction and development mechanisms, and finally effective control on these pests, an extensive transcriptome for the oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis was produced using the Roche 454-FLX platform.

RESULTS

We obtained over 350 million bases of cDNA derived from the whole body of B. dorsalis at different developmental stages. In a single run, 747,206 sequencing reads with a mean read length of 382 bp were obtained. These reads were assembled into 28,782 contigs and 169,966 singletons. The mean contig size was 750 bp and many nearly full-length transcripts were assembled. Additionally, we identified a great number of genes that are involved in reproduction and development as well as genes that represent nearly all major conserved metazoan signal transduction pathways, such as insulin signal transduction. Furthermore, transcriptome changes during development were analyzed. A total of 2,977 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected between larvae and pupae libraries, while there were 1,621 DEGs between adults and larvae, and 2,002 between adults and pupae. These DEGs were functionally annotated with KEGG pathway annotation and 9 genes were validated by qRT-PCR.

CONCLUSION

Our data represent the extensive sequence resources available for B. dorsalis and provide for the first time access to the genetic architecture of reproduction and development as well as major signal transduction pathways in the Tephritid fruit fly pests, allowing us to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying courtship, ovipositing, development and detailed analyses of the signal transduction pathways.

Systemic elevation of PTEN induces a tumor-suppressive metabolic state

Decremental loss of PTEN results in cancer susceptibility and tumor progression. PTEN elevation might therefore be an attractive option for cancer prevention and therapy. We have generated several transgenic mouse lines with PTEN expression elevated to varying levels by taking advantage of bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-mediated transgenesis. The "Super-PTEN" mutants are viable and show reduced body size due to decreased cell number, with no effect on cell size. Unexpectedly, PTEN elevation at the organism level results in healthy metabolism characterized by increased energy expenditure and reduced body fat accumulation. Cells derived from these mice show reduced glucose and glutamine uptake and increased mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and are resistant to oncogenic transformation. Mechanistically we find that PTEN elevation orchestrates this metabolic switch by regulating PI3K-dependent and -independent pathways and negatively impacting two of the most pronounced metabolic features of tumor cells: glutaminolysis and the Warburg effect.

Assessing cell size and cell cycle regulation in cells with altered TOR activity

Target of rapamycin (TOR) regulates the growth of cells and organisms. Numerous growth-promoting and growth-arresting pathways converge on TOR; TOR acts as an important hub, balancing the pro- and anti-growth signals within a cell. Since it regulates growth at the cellular level, cell size can be used as an indirect readout of TOR activity. Here, we describe methods used to analyze cell size in cell culture and in the Drosophila wing.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase spares organ growth during nutrient restriction in Drosophila

Developing animals survive periods of starvation by protecting the growth of critical organs at the expense of other tissues. Here, we use Drosophila to explore the as yet unknown mechanisms regulating this privileged tissue growth. As in mammals, we observe in Drosophila that the CNS is more highly spared than other tissues during nutrient restriction (NR). We demonstrate that anaplastic lymphoma kinase (Alk) efficiently protects neural progenitor (neuroblast) growth against reductions in amino acids and insulin-like peptides during NR via two mechanisms. First, Alk suppresses the growth requirement for amino acid sensing via Slimfast/Rheb/TOR complex 1. And second, Alk, rather than insulin-like receptor, primarily activates PI3-kinase. Alk maintains PI3-kinase signaling during NR as its ligand, Jelly belly (Jeb), is constitutively expressed from a glial cell niche surrounding neuroblasts. Together, these findings identify a brain-sparing mechanism that shares some regulatory features with the starvation-resistant growth programs of mammalian tumors.

Morphogens, nutrients, and the basis of organ scaling

The regulation of organ size is a long-standing problem in animal development. Studies in this area have shown that organ-intrinsic patterning morphogens influence organ size, guiding growth in accordance with positional information. However, organ-extrinsic humoral factors such as insulin also affect organ size, synchronizing growth with nutrient levels. Proliferating cells must integrate instructions from morphogens with those from nutrition so that growth proceeds as a function of both inputs. Coordinating cell proliferation with morphogens and nutrients ensures organs scale appropriately with body size, but the basis of this coordination is unclear. Here, the problem is illustrated using the Drosophila wing--a paradigm for organ growth and size control--and a potential solution suggested.

Presynaptic facilitation by neuropeptide signaling mediates odor-driven food search

Internal physiological states influence behavioral decisions. We have investigated the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms at the first olfactory synapse for starvation modulation of food-search behavior in Drosophila. We found that a local signal by short neuropeptide F (sNPF) and a global metabolic cue by insulin are integrated at specific odorant receptor neurons (ORNs) to modulate olfactory sensitivity. Results from two-photon calcium imaging show that starvation increases presynaptic activity via intraglomerular sNPF signaling. Expression of sNPF and its receptor (sNPFR1) in Or42b neurons is necessary for starvation-induced food-search behavior. Presynaptic facilitation in Or42b neurons is sufficient to mimic starvation-like behavior in fed flies. Furthermore, starvation elevates the transcription level of sNPFR1 but not that of sNPF, and insulin signaling suppresses sNPFR1 expression. Thus, starvation increases expression of sNPFR1 to change the odor map, resulting in more robust food-search behavior.

Loss of PI3K blocks cell-cycle progression in a Drosophila tumor model

Tumorigenesis is a complex process, which requires alterations in several tumor suppressor or oncogenes. Here, we use a Drosophila tumor model to identify genes, which are specifically required for tumor growth. We found that reduction of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activity resulted in very small tumors while only slightly affecting growth of wild-type tissue. The observed inhibition on tumor growth occurred at the level of cell-cycle progression. We conclude that tumor cells become dependent on PI3K function and that reduction of PI3K activity synthetically interferes with tumor growth. The results presented here broaden our insights into the intricate mechanisms underling tumorigenesis and illustrate the power of Drosophila genetics in revealing weak points of tumor progression.

Genome-wide screen for modifiers of Parkinson's disease genes in Drosophila

Background

Mutations in parkin and PTEN-induced kinase 1 (Pink1) lead to autosomal recessive forms of Parkinson's disease (PD). parkin and Pink1 encode a ubiquitin-protein ligase and a mitochondrially localized serine/threonine kinase, respectively. Recent studies have implicated Parkin and Pink1 in a common and evolutionarily conserved pathway for protecting mitochondrial integrity.

Results

To systematically identify novel components of the PD pathways, we generated a genetic background that allowed us to perform a genome-wide F1 screen for modifiers of Drosophila parkin (park) and Pink1 mutant phenotype. From screening ~80% of the fly genome, we identified a number of cytological regions that interact with park and/or Pink1. Among them, four cytological regions were selected for identifying corresponding PD-interacting genes. By analyzing smaller deficiency chromosomes, available transgenic RNAi lines, and P-element insertions, we identified five PD-interacting genes. Among them, opa1 and drp1 have been previously implicated in the PD pathways, whereas debra (dbr), Pi3K21B and β4GalNAcTA are novel PD-interacting genes.

Conclusions

We took an unbiased genetic approach to systematically isolate modifiers of PD genes in Drosophila. Further study of novel PD-interacting genes will shed new light on the function of PD genes and help in the development of new therapeutic strategies for treating Parkinson's disease.

Molecular mechanism of size control in development and human diseases

How multicellular organisms control their size is a fundamental question that fascinated generations of biologists. In the past 10 years, tremendous progress has been made toward our understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying size control. Original studies from Drosophila showed that in addition to extrinsic nutritional and hormonal cues, intrinsic mechanisms also play important roles in the control of organ size during development. Several novel signaling pathways such as insulin and Hippo-LATS signaling pathways have been identified that control organ size by regulating cell size and/or cell number through modulation of cell growth, cell division, and cell death. Later studies using mammalian cell and mouse models also demonstrated that the signaling pathways identified in flies are also conserved in mammals. Significantly, recent studies showed that dysregulation of size control plays important roles in the development of many human diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and hypertrophy.

Fat cells reactivate quiescent neuroblasts via TOR and glial insulin relays in Drosophila

Many stem, progenitor and cancer cells undergo periods of mitotic quiescence from which they can be reactivated^1-5. The signals triggering entry into and exit from this reversible dormant state are not well understood. In the developing Drosophila central nervous system (CNS), multipotent self-renewing progenitors called neuroblasts^6-9 undergo quiescence in a stereotypical spatiotemporal pattern¹⁰. Entry into quiescence is regulated by Hox proteins and an internal neuroblast timer^11-13. Exit from quiescence (reactivation) is subject to a nutritional checkpoint requiring dietary amino acids¹⁴. Organ co-cultures also implicate an unidentified signal from an adipose/hepatic-like tissue called fat body¹⁴. Here, we provide in vivo evidence that Slimfast amino-acid sensing and Target-of-Rapamycin (TOR) signalling¹⁵ activate a fat-body derived signal (FDS) required for neuroblast reactivation. Downstream of the FDS, Insulin-like receptor (InR) signalling and the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (PI3K)/TOR network are required in neuroblasts for exit from quiescence. We demonstrate that nutritionally regulated glial cells provide the source of Insulin-like Peptides (Ilps) relevant for timely neuroblast reactivation but not for overall larval growth. Conversely, Ilps secreted into the hemolymph by median neurosecretory cells (mNSCs) systemically control organismal size^16-18 but do not reactivate neuroblasts. Drosophila thus contains two segregated Ilp pools, one regulating proliferation within the CNS and the other controlling tissue growth systemically. Together, our findings support a model in which amino acids trigger the cell cycle re-entry of neural progenitors via a fat body→glia→neuroblasts relay. This mechanism highlights that dietary nutrients and remote organs, as well as local niches, are key regulators of transitions in stem-cell behaviour.

Nutrition-responsive glia control exit of neural stem cells from quiescence

The systemic regulation of stem cells ensures that they meet the needs of the organism during growth and in response to injury. A key point of regulation is the decision between quiescence and proliferation. During development, Drosophila neural stem cells (neuroblasts) transit through a period of quiescence separating distinct embryonic and postembryonic phases of proliferation. It is known that neuroblasts exit quiescence via a hitherto unknown pathway in response to a nutrition-dependent signal from the fat body. We have identified a population of glial cells that produce insulin/IGF-like peptides in response to nutrition, and we show that the insulin/IGF receptor pathway is necessary for neuroblasts to exit quiescence. The forced expression of insulin/IGF-like peptides in glia, or activation of PI3K/Akt signaling in neuroblasts, can drive neuroblast growth and proliferation in the absence of dietary protein and thus uncouple neuroblasts from systemic control.

Transcriptional regulation of the insulin signaling pathway genes by starvation and 20-hydroxyecdysone in the Bombyx fat body

Genetic studies in the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, have uncovered a conserved insulin/insulin growth factor signaling (IIS) pathway that regulates nutrition-dependent growth rates of insects. From the silkworm, Bombyx mori, we have identified and characterized several key genes involved in the IIS pathway, including InR, IRS, PI3K110, PI3K60, PTEN, PDK, and Akt. Tissue distribution analysis showed that most of these genes were highly expressed in the fat body implying that the IIS pathway is functionally important within insect adipose tissue. Developmental profile studies revealed that the expression levels of InR, IRS, PI3K110, and PDK were elevated in the fat body during molting and pupation, periods when animals ceased feeding and hemolymph levels of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) were high. Starvation rapidly up-regulated the mRNA levels of these same genes in the fat body, while 20E slowly induced their transcription. We conclude that 20E slowly reduces food consumption and then indirectly induces a state of starvation resulting in the elevation of the mRNA levels of InR, IRS, PI3K110, and PDK in the Bombyx fat body during molting and pupation.

Dynamic switch of negative feedback regulation in Drosophila Akt-TOR signaling

Akt represents a nodal point between the Insulin receptor and TOR signaling, and its activation by phosphorylation controls cell proliferation, cell size, and metabolism. The activity of Akt must be carefully balanced, as increased Akt signaling is frequently associated with cancer and as insufficient Akt signaling is linked to metabolic disease and diabetes mellitus. Using a genome-wide RNAi screen in Drosophila cells in culture, and in vivo analyses in the third instar wing imaginal disc, we studied the regulatory circuitries that define dAkt activation. We provide evidence that negative feedback regulation of dAkt occurs during normal Drosophila development in vivo. Whereas in cell culture dAkt is regulated by S6 Kinase (S6K)–dependent negative feedback, this feedback inhibition only plays a minor role in vivo. In contrast, dAkt activation under wild-type conditions is defined by feedback inhibition that depends on TOR Complex 1 (TORC1), but is S6K–independent. This feedback inhibition is switched from TORC1 to S6K only in the context of enhanced TORC1 activity, as triggered by mutations in tsc2. These results illustrate how the Akt–TOR pathway dynamically adapts the routing of negative feedback in response to the activity load of its signaling circuit in vivo.

The development of multi-cellular organisms depends on the precise choreography of a diverse array of signal transduction pathways. This requires balanced regulation by activating as well as repressing signals. Negative feedback, defined as a signaling response counteracting the stimulus, is a frequently used mechanism to dampen signaling pathway activity. Accordingly, loss of negative feedback is often observed during progression of cancer, while constitutive engagement of negative feedback contributes to chronic loss-of-function phenotypes. Ectopic activation of the Akt–TOR pathway is frequently associated with tumor susceptibility and cancer and contributes to obesity-induced metabolic disease and type II diabetes. Using Drosophila cell culture and the developing fly, we dissect the regulatory circuitry defining negative feedback regulation of dAkt. Our work shows that dAkt activity is regulated by two qualitatively different negative feedback mechanisms and that the activity level of the dAkt pathway dictates which feedback mechanism is utilized. Under normal physiological activity conditions, we observe a feedback mechanism that is dependent on TOR complex 1, but independent of S6K. Under conditions of pathological high pathway activity, we observe an S6K–dependent negative feedback mechanism. Our identification of a quantitative-to-qualitative switch in dAkt–TOR negative feedback signaling might have important implications in the biology of cancer and metabolic diseases.

Mutants in phospholipid signaling attenuate the behavioral response of adult Drosophila to trehalose

In Drosophila melanogaster, gustatory receptor genes (Grs) encode putative G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that are expressed in gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs). One of the Gr genes, Gr5a, encodes a receptor for trehalose that is expressed in a subset of GRNs. Although a role for the G protein, Gsα, has been shown in Gr5a-expressing taste neurons, there is the residual responses to trehalose in Gsα mutants which could suggest additional transduction mechanisms. Expression and genetic analysis of the heterotrimeric G-protein subunit, Gq, shown here suggest involvement of this Gα subunit in trehalose perception in Drosophila. A green fluorescent protein reporter of Gq expression is detected in gustatory neurons in the labellum, tarsal segments, and wing margins. Animals heterozygous for dgq mutations and RNA interference-mediated knockdown of dgq showed reduced responses to trehalose in the proboscis extension reflex assay and feeding behavior assay. These defects were rescued by targeted expression of the wild-type dgqα transgene in the GRNs. These data together with observations from other mutants in phospholipid signaling provide insights into the mechanisms of taste transduction in Drosophila.

Inactivation of both Foxo and reaper promotes long-term adult neurogenesis in Drosophila

Adult neurogenesis occurs in specific locations in the brains of many animals, including some insects, and relies on mitotic neural stem cells. In mammals, the regenerative capacity of most of the adult nervous system is extremely limited, possibly because of the absence of neural stem cells. Here we show that the absence of adult neurogenesis in Drosophila results from the elimination of neural stem cells (neuroblasts) during development. Prior to their elimination, their growth and proliferation slows because of decreased insulin/PI3 kinase signaling, resulting in nuclear localization of Foxo. These small neuroblasts are typically eliminated by caspase-dependent cell death, and not exclusively by terminal differentiation as has been proposed. Eliminating Foxo, together with inhibition of reaper family proapoptotic genes, promotes long-term survival of neuroblasts and sustains neurogenesis in the adult mushroom body (mb), the center for learning and memory in Drosophila. Foxo likely activates autophagic cell death, because simultaneous inhibition of ATG1 (autophagy-specific gene 1) and apoptosis also promotes long-term mb neuroblast survival. mb neurons generated in adults incorporate into the existing mb neuropil, suggesting that their identity and neuronal pathfinding cues are both intact. Thus, inhibition of the pathways that normally function to eliminate neural stem cells during development enables adult neurogenesis.

Molecular mechanisms of metabolic regulation by insulin in Drosophila

The insulin signalling pathway is highly conserved from mammals to Drosophila. Insulin signalling in the fly, as in mammals, regulates a number of physiological functions, including carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, tissue growth and longevity. In the present review, I discuss the molecular mechanisms by which insulin signalling regulates metabolism in Drosophila, comparing and contrasting with the mammalian system. I discuss both the intracellular signalling network, as well as the communication between organs in the fly.

A role for p38 stress-activated protein kinase in regulation of cell growth via TORC1

The target of rapamycin (TOR) complex 1 (TORC1) signaling pathway is a critical regulator of translation and cell growth. To identify novel components of this pathway, we performed a kinome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) screen in Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells. RNAi targeting components of the p38 stress-activated kinase cascade prevented the cell size increase elicited by depletion of the TOR negative regulator TSC2. In mammalian and Drosophila tissue culture, as well as in Drosophila ovaries ex vivo, p38-activating stresses, such as H(2)O(2) and anisomycin, were able to activate TORC1. This stress-induced TORC1 activation could be blocked by RNAi against mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3 and 6 (MKK3/6) or by the overexpression of dominant negative Rags. Interestingly, p38 was also required for the activation of TORC1 in response to amino acids and growth factors. Genetic ablation either of p38b or licorne, its upstream kinase, resulted in small flies consisting of small cells. Mutants with mutations in licorne or p38b are nutrition sensitive; low-nutrient food accentuates the small-organism phenotypes, as well as the partial lethality of the p38b null allele. These data suggest that p38 is an important positive regulator of TORC1 in both mammalian and Drosophila systems in response to certain stresses and growth factors.

Regulation of fat cell mass by insulin in Drosophila melanogaster

A phylogenetically conserved response to nutritional abundance is an increase in insulin signaling, which initiates a set of biological responses dependent on the species. Consequences of augmented insulin signaling include developmental progression, cell and organ growth, and the storage of carbohydrates and lipids. Here, we address the evolutionary origins of insulin's positive effects on anabolic lipid metabolism by selectively modulating insulin signaling in the fat body of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Analogous to the actions of insulin in higher vertebrates, those in Drosophila include expansion of the insect fat cell mass both by increasing the adipocyte number and by promoting lipid accumulation. The ability of insulin to accomplish the former depends on its capacity to bring about phosphorylation and inhibition of the transcription factor Drosophila FOXO (dFOXO) and the serine/threonine protein kinase shaggy, the fly ortholog of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3). Increasing the amount of triglyceride per cell also depends on the phosphorylation of shaggy but is independent of dFOXO. Thus, the findings of this study provide evidence that the control of fat mass by insulin is a conserved process and place dFOXO and shaggy/GSK3 downstream of the insulin receptor in controlling adipocyte cell number and triglyceride storage, respectively.

The Drosophila foraging gene mediates adult plasticity and gene-environment interactions in behaviour, metabolites, and gene expression in response to food deprivation

Nutrition is known to interact with genotype in human metabolic syndromes, obesity, and diabetes, and also in Drosophila metabolism. Plasticity in metabolic responses, such as changes in body fat or blood sugar in response to changes in dietary alterations, may also be affected by genotype. Here we show that variants of the foraging (for) gene in Drosophila melanogaster affect the response to food deprivation in a large suite of adult phenotypes by measuring gene by environment interactions (GEI) in a suite of food-related traits. for affects body fat, carbohydrates, food-leaving behavior, metabolite, and gene expression levels in response to food deprivation. This results in broad patterns of metabolic, genomic, and behavioral gene by environment interactions (GEI), in part by interaction with the insulin signaling pathway. Our results show that a single gene that varies in nature can have far reaching effects on behavior and metabolism by acting through multiple other genes and pathways.

Dynamic control of cell cycle and growth coupling by ecdysone, EGFR, and PI3K signaling in Drosophila histoblasts

Regulation of cell proliferation has been extensively studied in cultured cell systems that are characterized by coordinated growth and cell-cycle progression and relatively uniform cell size distribution. During the development of multicellular organisms, however, growth and division can be temporally uncoupled, and the signaling pathways that regulate these growth programs are poorly understood. A good model for analyzing proliferation control in such systems is the morphogenesis of the Drosophila adult abdominal epidermis by histoblasts. These cells undergo a series of temporally regulated transitions during which neither cell size nor division rate is constant. The proliferation of histoblasts during metamorphosis is uniquely amenable to clonal analysis in combination with live imaging. Thereby, we show that abdominal histoblasts, which grow while in G2 arrest during larval stages, enter a proliferative stage in the pupal period that is initiated by ecdysone-dependent string/Cdc25 phosphatase transcription. The proliferating histoblasts have preaccumulated stores of Cyclin E, which trigger an immediate S phase onset after mitosis. These rapid cell cycles lack a G1 phase and result in a progressive reduction of cell size. Eventually, the histoblasts proceed to a stage of slower proliferation that, in contrast to the preceding, depends on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling for progression through the G2/M transition and on insulin receptor/PI3K-mediated signaling for growth. These results uncover the developmentally programmed changes coupling the growth and proliferation of the histoblasts that form the abdominal epidermis of Drosophila. Histoblasts proceed through three distinct stages: growth without division, division without growth, and growth-coupled proliferation. Our identification of the signaling pathways and cell-cycle regulators that control these programs illustrates the power of in vivo time-lapse analyses after clone induction. It sets the stage for the comprehensive understanding of the coordination of cell growth and cell-cycle progression in complex multicellular eukaryotes.

A fundamental issue in biology is the question of how the rate of cell division is coupled to cell growth. Coordination of these processes has been studied extensively in cultured cell systems but to a much lesser extent in intact organisms. To study this phenomenon in a physiological setting, we developed a methodology to observe and manipulate cell division and growth in a population of Drosophila abdominal cells called histoblasts. The various developmental stages of histoblast morphogenesis include exit from cell-cycle arrest, initially rapid growth in the absence of cell division, and subsequent coupling of proliferation and growth. We identified several critical developmental signaling pathways (including signaling via ecdysone, the EGF receptor, and PI 3-kinase) that regulate and coordinate cell growth and division cycles during these different types of cell-cycle phenomena. We propose that the internal logic of the Drosophila histoblast system may serve as a basic framework for understanding not only how coordinated cell growth and division operate in a number of other developmental contexts, but also how misregulation of cell growth and division occurs in contexts such as cancer cell populations.

Integration of the ecdysone, EGF receptor, and PI 3-kinase signaling pathways determines the relative rates of growth and cell division duringDrosophila abdominal cell morphogenesis.

'Big frog, small frog'--maintaining proportions in embryonic development: delivered on 2 July 2008 at the 33rd FEBS Congress in Athens, Greece

We discuss mechanisms that enable the scaling of pattern with size during the development of multicellular organisms. Recently, we analyzed scaling in the context of the early Xenopus embryo, focusing on the determination of the dorsal-ventral axis by a gradient of BMP activation. The ability of this system to withstand extreme perturbation was exemplified in classical experiments performed by Hans Spemann in the early 20th century. Quantitative analysis revealed that patterning is governed by a noncanonical 'shuttling-based' mechanism, and defined the feedback enabling the scaling of pattern with size. Robust scaling is due to molecular implementation of an integral-feedback controller, which adjusts the width of the BMP morphogen gradient with the size of the system. We present an 'expansion-repression' feedback topology which generalizes this concept for a wider range of patterning systems, providing a general, and potentially widely applicable model for the robust scaling of morphogen gradients with size.