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Quintero M, Bangi E. Disruptions in cell fate decisions and transformed enteroendocrine cells drive intestinal tumorigenesis in Drosophila. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113370. [PMID: 37924517 PMCID: PMC10841758 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Most epithelial tissues are maintained by stem cells that produce the different cell lineages required for proper tissue function. Constant communication between different cell types ensures precise regulation of stem cell behavior and cell fate decisions. These cell-cell interactions are often disrupted during tumorigenesis, but mechanisms by which they are co-opted to support tumor growth in different genetic contexts are poorly understood. Here, we introduce PromoterSwitch, a genetic platform we established to generate large, transformed clones derived from individual adult Drosophila intestinal stem/progenitor cells. We show that cancer-driving genetic alterations representing common colon tumor genome landscapes disrupt cell fate decisions within transformed tissue and result in the emergence of abnormal cell fates. We also show that transformed enteroendocrine cells, a differentiated, hormone-secreting cell lineage, support tumor growth by regulating intestinal stem cell proliferation through multiple genotype-dependent mechanisms, which represent potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited for therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Quintero
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32304, USA
| | - Erdem Bangi
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32304, USA.
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2
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Xu DC, Wang L, Yamada KM, Baena-Lopez LA. Non-apoptotic activation of Drosophila caspase-2/9 modulates JNK signaling, the tumor microenvironment, and growth of wound-like tumors. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110718. [PMID: 35443185 PMCID: PMC9082238 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Resistance to apoptosis due to caspase deregulation is considered one of the main hallmarks of cancer. However, the discovery of novel non-apoptotic caspase functions has revealed unknown intricacies about the interplay between these enzymes and tumor progression. To investigate this biological problem, we capitalized on a Drosophila tumor model with human relevance based on the simultaneous overactivation of the EGFR and the JAK/STAT signaling pathways. Our data indicate that widespread non-apoptotic activation of initiator caspases limits JNK signaling and facilitates cell fate commitment in these tumors, thus preventing the overgrowth and exacerbation of malignant features of transformed cells. Intriguingly, caspase activity also reduces the presence of macrophage-like cells with tumor-promoting properties in the tumor microenvironment. These findings assign tumor-suppressing activities to caspases independent of apoptosis, while providing molecular details to better understand the contribution of these enzymes to tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek Cui Xu
- Cell Biology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-4370, USA; Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Li Wang
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Kenneth M Yamada
- Cell Biology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-4370, USA.
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3
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Tzou FY, Wen JK, Yeh JY, Huang SY, Chen GC, Chan CC. Drosophila as a model to study autophagy in neurodegenerative diseases and digestive tract. IUBMB Life 2021; 74:339-360. [PMID: 34874101 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Autophagy regulates cellular homeostasis by degrading and recycling cytosolic components and damaged organelles. Disruption of autophagic flux has been shown to induce or facilitate neurodegeneration and accumulation of autophagic vesicles is overt in neurodegenerative diseases. The fruit fly Drosophila has been used as a model system to identify new factors that regulate physiology and disease. Here we provide a historical perspective of how the fly models have offered mechanistic evidence to understand the role of autophagy in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy, and polyglutamine disorders. Autophagy also plays a pivotal role in maintaining tissue homeostasis and protecting organism health. The gastrointestinal tract regulates organism health by modulating food intake, energy balance, and immunity. Growing evidence is strengthening the link between autophagy and digestive tract health in recent years. Here, we also discuss how the fly models have advanced the understanding of digestive physiology regulated by autophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei-Yang Tzou
- Graduate Institute of Physiology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Kun Wen
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Yu Yeh
- Graduate Institute of Physiology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Yi Huang
- Department of Medical Research, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Guang-Chao Chen
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Chiang Chan
- Graduate Institute of Physiology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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4
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Gong S, Zhang Y, Tian A, Deng W. Tumor models in various Drosophila tissues. WIREs Mech Dis 2021; 13:e1525. [PMID: 34730289 PMCID: PMC8566734 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of cancer is a complex multistage process. Over the past few decades, the model organism Drosophila melanogaster has been crucial in identifying cancer-related genes and pathways and elucidating mechanisms underlying growth regulation in development. Investigations using Drosophila has yielded new insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in tumor initiation and progression. In this review, we describe various tumor models that have been developed in recent years using different Drosophila tissues, such as the imaginal tissue, the neural tissue, the gut, the ovary, and hematopoietic cells. We discuss underlying genetic alterations, cancer-like characteristics, as well as similarities and key differences among these models. We also discuss how disruptions in stem cell division and differentiation result in tumor formation in diverse tissues, and highlight new concepts developed using the fly model to understand context-dependent tumorigenesis. We further discuss the progress made in Drosophila to explore tumor-host interactions that involve the innate immune response to tumor growth and the cachexia wasting phenotype. This article is categorized under: Cancer > Genetics/Genomics/Epigenetics Cancer > Stem Cells and Development Cancer > Molecular and Cellular Physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangyu Gong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyTulane University School of MedicineNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
| | - Yichi Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyTulane University School of MedicineNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
| | - Aiguo Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyTulane University School of MedicineNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
| | - Wu‐Min Deng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyTulane University School of MedicineNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
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5
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Chen D, Roychowdhury-Sinha A, Prakash P, Lan X, Fan W, Goto A, Hoffmann JA. A time course transcriptomic analysis of host and injected oncogenic cells reveals new aspects of Drosophila immune defenses. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2100825118. [PMID: 33737397 PMCID: PMC8000351 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2100825118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic RasV12 cells [A. Simcox et al., PLoS Genet 4, e1000142 (2008)] injected into adult males proliferated massively after a lag period of several days, and led to the demise of the flies after 2 to 3 wk. The injection induced an early massive transcriptomic response that, unexpectedly, included more than 100 genes encoding chemoreceptors of various families. The kinetics of induction and the identities of the induced genes differed markedly from the responses generated by injections of microbes. Subsequently, hundreds of genes were up-regulated, attesting to intense catabolic activities in the flies, active tracheogenesis, and cuticulogenesis, as well as stress and inflammation-type responses. At 11 d after the injections, GFP-positive oncogenic cells isolated from the host flies exhibited a markedly different transcriptomic profile from that of the host and distinct from that at the time of their injection, including in particular up-regulated expression of genes typical for cells engaged in the classical antimicrobial response of Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Chen
- Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou Medical University, 511436 Guangzhou, China;
- Insect Models of Innate Immunity (M3I; UPR9022), CNRS, University of Strasbourg, F-67084 Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Pragya Prakash
- Insect Models of Innate Immunity (M3I; UPR9022), CNRS, University of Strasbourg, F-67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Xiao Lan
- Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou Medical University, 511436 Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenmin Fan
- Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou Medical University, 511436 Guangzhou, China
| | - Akira Goto
- Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou Medical University, 511436 Guangzhou, China;
- Insect Models of Innate Immunity (M3I; UPR9022), CNRS, University of Strasbourg, F-67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Jules A Hoffmann
- Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou Medical University, 511436 Guangzhou, China;
- Insect Models of Innate Immunity (M3I; UPR9022), CNRS, University of Strasbourg, F-67084 Strasbourg, France
- University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced Study, 67000 Strasbourg, France
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6
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Strategies for Functional Interrogation of Big Cancer Data Using Drosophila Cancer Models. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21113754. [PMID: 32466549 PMCID: PMC7312059 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21113754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid development of high throughput genome analysis technologies accompanied by significant reduction in costs has led to the accumulation of an incredible amount of data during the last decade. The emergence of big data has had a particularly significant impact in biomedical research by providing unprecedented, systems-level access to many disease states including cancer, and has created promising opportunities as well as new challenges. Arguably, the most significant challenge cancer research currently faces is finding effective ways to use big data to improve our understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis and developing effective new therapies. Functional exploration of these datasets and testing predictions from computational approaches using experimental models to interrogate their biological relevance is a key step towards achieving this goal. Given the daunting scale and complexity of the big data available, experimental systems like Drosophila that allow large-scale functional studies and complex genetic manipulations in a rapid, cost-effective manner will be of particular importance for this purpose. Findings from these large-scale exploratory functional studies can then be used to formulate more specific hypotheses to be explored in mammalian models. Here, I will discuss several strategies for functional exploration of big cancer data using Drosophila cancer models.
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7
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JNK-dependent intestinal barrier failure disrupts host-microbe homeostasis during tumorigenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:9401-9412. [PMID: 32277031 PMCID: PMC7196803 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1913976117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The intestinal epithelium forms a tight barrier to the environment and is constantly regenerated. Precise control of barrier function and tissue renewal is important to maintain homeostasis. Using an inducible tumor model in the Drosophila intestine, this study shows that tumor progression disrupts the intestinal barrier and leads to commensal dysbiosis, thereby further fueling tumor growth. This reenforcing feedback loop can be interrupted by treatments with JNK inhibitor or antibiotics. In all animals, the intestinal epithelium forms a tight barrier to the environment. The epithelium regulates the absorption of nutrients, mounts immune responses, and prevents systemic infections. Here, we investigate the consequences of tumorigenesis on the microbiome using a Drosophila intestinal tumor model. We show that upon loss of BMP signaling, tumors lead to aberrant activation of JNK/Mmp2 signaling, followed by intestinal barrier dysfunction and commensal imbalance. In turn, the dysbiotic microbiome triggers a regenerative response and stimulates tumor growth. We find that inhibiting JNK signaling or depletion of the microbiome restores barrier function of the intestinal epithelium, leading to a reestablishment of host–microbe homeostasis, and organismic lifespan extension. Our experiments identify a JNK-dependent feedback amplification loop between intestinal tumors and the microbiome. They also highlight the importance of controlling the activity level of JNK signaling to maintain epithelial barrier function and host–microbe homeostasis.
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8
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Mendes N, Dias Carvalho P, Martins F, Mendonça S, Malheiro AR, Ribeiro A, Carvalho J, Velho S. Animal Models to Study Cancer and Its Microenvironment. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1219:389-401. [PMID: 32130710 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-34025-4_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Cancers are complex tissues composed by genetically altered cancer cells and stromal elements such as inflammatory/immune cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells and pericytes, neuronal cells, and a non-cellular component, the extracellular matrix. The complex network of interactions and crosstalk established between cancer cells and the supportig cellular and non-cellular components of the microenvironment are of extreme importance for tumor initiation and progression, strongly impacting the course and the outcome of the disease. Therefore, a better understanding of the tumorigenic processes implies the combined study of the cancer cell and the biologic, chemical and mechanic constituents of the tumor microenvironment, as their concerted action plays a major role in the carcinogenic pathway and is a key determinant of the efficacy of anti-cancer treatments. The use of animal models (e.g. Mouse, Zebrafish and Drosophila) to study cancer has greatly impacted our understanding of the processes governing initiation, progression and metastasis and allowed the discovery and pre-clinical validation of novel cancer treatments as it allows to recreate tumor development in a more pathophysiologic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Mendes
- i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal.
- IPATIMUP, Instituto de Patologia Molecular e Imunologia da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
| | - P Dias Carvalho
- i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal
- IPATIMUP, Instituto de Patologia Molecular e Imunologia da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - F Martins
- i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal
- IPATIMUP, Instituto de Patologia Molecular e Imunologia da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - S Mendonça
- i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal
- IPATIMUP, Instituto de Patologia Molecular e Imunologia da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - A R Malheiro
- i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal
- IBMC, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - A Ribeiro
- i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal
- IPATIMUP, Instituto de Patologia Molecular e Imunologia da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - J Carvalho
- i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal
- IPATIMUP, Instituto de Patologia Molecular e Imunologia da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - S Velho
- i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal.
- IPATIMUP, Instituto de Patologia Molecular e Imunologia da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
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9
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Rotelli MD, Bolling AM, Killion AW, Weinberg AJ, Dixon MJ, Calvi BR. An RNAi Screen for Genes Required for Growth of Drosophila Wing Tissue. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2019; 9:3087-3100. [PMID: 31387856 PMCID: PMC6778782 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Cell division and tissue growth must be coordinated with development. Defects in these processes are the basis for a number of diseases, including developmental malformations and cancer. We have conducted an unbiased RNAi screen for genes that are required for growth in the Drosophila wing, using GAL4-inducible short hairpin RNA (shRNA) fly strains made by the Drosophila RNAi Screening Center. shRNA expression down the center of the larval wing disc using dpp-GAL4, and the central region of the adult wing was then scored for tissue growth and wing hair morphology. Out of 4,753 shRNA crosses that survived to adulthood, 18 had impaired wing growth. FlyBase and the new Alliance of Genome Resources knowledgebases were used to determine the known or predicted functions of these genes and the association of their human orthologs with disease. The function of eight of the genes identified has not been previously defined in Drosophila The genes identified included those with known or predicted functions in cell cycle, chromosome segregation, morphogenesis, metabolism, steroid processing, transcription, and translation. All but one of the genes are similar to those in humans, and many are associated with disease. Knockdown of lin-52, a subunit of the Myb-MuvB transcription factor, or βNACtes6, a gene involved in protein folding and trafficking, resulted in a switch from cell proliferation to an endoreplication growth program through which wing tissue grew by an increase in cell size (hypertrophy). It is anticipated that further analysis of the genes that we have identified will reveal new mechanisms that regulate tissue growth during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Rotelli
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405 and
| | - Anna M Bolling
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405 and
| | - Andrew W Killion
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405 and
| | | | - Michael J Dixon
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405 and
| | - Brian R Calvi
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405 and
- Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202
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10
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Parvy JP, Yu Y, Dostalova A, Kondo S, Kurjan A, Bulet P, Lemaître B, Vidal M, Cordero JB. The antimicrobial peptide defensin cooperates with tumour necrosis factor to drive tumour cell death in Drosophila. eLife 2019; 8:45061. [PMID: 31358113 PMCID: PMC6667213 DOI: 10.7554/elife.45061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small cationic molecules best known as mediators of the innate defence against microbial infection. While in vitro and ex vivo evidence suggest AMPs’ capacity to kill cancer cells, in vivo demonstration of an anti-tumour role of endogenous AMPs is lacking. Using a Drosophila model of tumourigenesis, we demonstrate a role for the AMP Defensin in the control of tumour progression. Our results reveal that Tumour Necrosis Factor mediates exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS), which makes tumour cells selectively sensitive to the action of Defensin remotely secreted from tracheal and fat tissues. Defensin binds tumour cells in PS-enriched areas, provoking cell death and tumour regression. Altogether, our results provide the first in vivo demonstration for a role of an endogenous AMP as an anti-cancer agent, as well as a mechanism that explains tumour cell sensitivity to the action of AMPs. Animals have a natural defence system – the immune system – that is needed to fight off disease-causing microbes, known as pathogens. One way the immune system attacks pathogens is by producing small microbe-killing molecules called antimicrobial peptides. These antimicrobial peptides carry a positive charge, which allows them to interact with and disrupt the negatively charged cell surfaces of many microbes. Healthy animal cells do not have these negatively charged components on their cell surface, which means they are invisible to antimicrobial peptides. Studies have reported that antimicrobial peptides can attack cancer cells grown in a dish. However, it was unclear whether they could fight cancer cells in a live animal. Parvy et al. have now addressed this issue by studying tumours in the larvae of fruit flies. Flies with tumours made an antimicrobial peptide called Defensin, which normally helps to fight infections. When Parvy et al. deleted the gene coding for Defensin, less tumour cells were dying and the tumours became bigger. This result indicated that Defensin was protecting the fruit flies from tumours. Examining the tumours under the microscope showed that Defensin protein interacted with the membranes of tumour cells. Defensin was not, however, interacting with healthy cells. Further analysis revealed that a negatively charged component of cell membranes called phosphatidylserine, which normally faces the inside of healthy cells, is exposed to the outer surface of tumour cells. This negatively charged molecule renders cancer cells visible to positively charged Defensin. Importantly, the exposure of the phosphatidylserine is mediated by the fly equivalent of a protein called Tumour Necrosis Factor, a key player in cancer biology. Defensin binding to tumour cells leads to their death. These experiments in the fruit fly highlight key molecular mechanisms that allow antimicrobial peptides to fight cancer cells in a living organism. Because human tumour cells can also expose phosphatidylserine, these latest findings may open up the possibility of a new kind of anti-cancer therapy for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yachuan Yu
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Dostalova
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Shu Kondo
- Invertebrate Genetics Laboratory, Genetic Strains Research Center, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Alina Kurjan
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Philippe Bulet
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CR University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR5309, Immunologie Analytique des Pathologies Chroniques, Grenoble, France
| | - Bruno Lemaître
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Julia B Cordero
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, United Kingdom.,Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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11
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Martínez-Corrales G, Cabrero P, Dow JAT, Terhzaz S, Davies SA. Novel roles for GATAe in growth, maintenance and proliferation of cell populations in the Drosophila renal tubule. Development 2019; 146:dev.178087. [PMID: 31036543 DOI: 10.1242/dev.178087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The GATA family of transcription factors is implicated in numerous developmental and physiological processes in metazoans. In Drosophila melanogaster, five different GATA factor genes (pannier, serpent, grain, GATAd and GATAe) have been reported as essential in the development and identity of multiple tissues, including the midgut, heart and brain. Here, we present a novel role for GATAe in the function and homeostasis of the Drosophila renal (Malpighian) tubule. We demonstrate that reduced levels of GATAe gene expression in tubule principal cells induce uncontrolled cell proliferation, resulting in tumorous growth with associated altered expression of apoptotic and carcinogenic key genes. Furthermore, we uncover the involvement of GATAe in the maintenance of stellate cells and migration of renal and nephritic stem cells into the tubule. Our findings of GATAe as a potential master regulator in the events of growth control and cell survival required for the maintenance of the Drosophila renal tubule could provide new insights into the molecular pathways involved in the formation and maintenance of a functional tissue and kidney disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Martínez-Corrales
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Pablo Cabrero
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Julian A T Dow
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Selim Terhzaz
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Shireen-A Davies
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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12
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Cagan RL, Zon LI, White RM. Modeling Cancer with Flies and Fish. Dev Cell 2019; 49:317-324. [PMID: 31063751 PMCID: PMC6506185 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cancer has joined heart disease as the leading source of mortality in the US. In an era of organoids, patient-derived xenografts, and organs on a chip, model organisms continue to thrive with a combination of powerful genetic tools, rapid pace of discovery, and affordability. Model organisms enable the analysis of both the tumor and its associated microenvironment, aspects that are particularly relevant to our understanding of metastasis and drug resistance. In this Perspective, we explore some of the strengths of fruit flies and zebrafish for addressing fundamental cancer questions and how these two organisms can contribute to identifying promising therapeutic candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross L Cagan
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Leonard I Zon
- Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Richard M White
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
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