Drosophila ribosomal protein mutants control tissue growth non-autonomously via effects on the prothoracic gland and ecdysone

Date

2011

Authors

Lin, Jane
Mitchell, Naomi
Kalcina, Marina
Tchoubrieva, E
Stewart, Mary
Marygold, Steven
Walker, Cherryl
Thomas, George
Leevers, Sally
Pearson, Richard B

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Public Library of Science

Abstract

The ribosome is critical for all aspects of cell growth due to its essential role in protein synthesis. Paradoxically, many Ribosomal proteins (Rps) act as tumour suppressors in Drosophila and vertebrates. To examine how reductions in Rps could lead to tissue overgrowth, we took advantage of the observation that an RpS6 mutant dominantly suppresses the small rough eye phenotype in a cyclin E hypomorphic mutant (cycE JP). We demonstrated that the suppression of cycE JP by the RpS6 mutant is not a consequence of restoring CycE protein levels or activity in the eye imaginal tissue. Rather, the use of UAS-RpS6 RNAi transgenics revealed that the suppression of cycE JP is exerted via a mechanism extrinsic to the eye, whereby reduced Rp levels in the prothoracic gland decreases the activity of ecdysone, the steroid hormone, delaying developmental timing and hence allowing time for tissue and organ overgrowth. These data provide for the first time a rationale to explain the counter-intuitive organ overgrowth phenotypes observed for certain members of the Minute class of Drosophila Rp mutants. They also demonstrate how Rp mutants can affect growth and development cell non-autonomously.

Description

Keywords

Keywords: cyclin E; ecdysone; mutant protein; ribosome protein; cyclin E; ecdysone; protein S6; animal tissue; article; cell proliferation; controlled study; Drosophila; female; growth regulation; insect development; nonhuman; phenotype; protein function; RNA inter

Citation

Source

PLoS Genetics

Type

Journal article

Book Title

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Access Statement

Open Access

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