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

ABSTRACT: Remodeling is an integral component of tissue homeostasis and regeneration. In planarians, these processes occur constantly in a simple tractable model organism as part of the animal's normal life history. Here, we have studied the gene Gtdap-1, the planarian ortholog of human death-associated protein-1 or DAP-1. DAP-1, together with DAP-kinase, has been identified as a positive mediator of programmed cell death induced by gamma-IFN in HeLa cells. Although the function of DAP-kinase is well characterized, the role of DAP-1 has not been studied in detail. Our findings suggest that Gtdap-1 is involved in autophagy in planarians, and that autophagy plays an essential role in the remodeling of the organism that occurs during regeneration and starvation, providing the necessary energy and build

SUBMITTER: Gonzalez-Estevez C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1948951 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature