The Drosophila sterile-20 kinase slik controls cell proliferation and apoptosis during imaginal disc development.

ABSTRACT: Cell proliferation and programmed cell death are closely controlled during animal development. Proliferative stimuli generally also induce apoptosis, and anti-apoptotic factors are required to allow net cell proliferation. Genetic studies in Drosophila have led to identification of a number of genes that control both processes, providing new insights into the mechanisms that coordinate cell growth, proliferation, and death during development and that fail to do so in diseases of cell proliferation. We present evidence that the Drosophila Sterile-20 kinase Slik promotes cell proliferation and controls cell survival. At normal levels, Slik provides survival cues that prevent apoptosis. Cells deprived of Slik activity can grow, divide, and differentiate, but have an intrinsic survival defect

SUBMITTER: Hipfner DR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC261876 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature