Extrusion of cells with inappropriate Dpp signaling from Drosophila wing disc epithelia

Decapentaplegic (Dpp) is a signaling molecule that controls growth and patterning of the developing Drosophila wing. Mutant cells lacking Dpp signal transduction have been shown to activate c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK)-dependent apoptosis and to be lost from the wing disc epithelium. These observations have led to the hypothesis that Dpp promotes cell survival by preventing apoptosis. Here, we show that in the absence of JNK-dependent apoptosis, mutant cells lacking Dpp signal transduction can survive; however, they are still lost from the wing disc epithelium. This loss correlates with extensive cytoskeletal changes followed by basal epithelial extrusion. We propose that Dpp promotes cell survival within disc epithelia by affecting cytoskeletal organization.