Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Phagocytosis Assay for Apoptotic Cells in Drosophila Embryos
10:06

Phagocytosis Assay for Apoptotic Cells in Drosophila Embryos

Published on: August 3, 2017

Autophagy, not apoptosis, is essential for midgut cell death in Drosophila

Donna Denton1, Bhupendra Shravage, Rachel Simin

  • 1Department of Haematology, Centre for Cancer Biology, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

Current Biology : CB
|October 13, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Autophagy, not caspases, drives programmed cell death in the Drosophila midgut during metamorphosis. This study reveals essential, caspase-independent cell death mediated by autophagy, even with high caspase activity.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Programmed cell death (PCD) is crucial for development, primarily mediated by caspases in metazoans.
  • During Drosophila metamorphosis, salivary glands and midgut undergo PCD, with caspases essential for salivary gland removal but not midgut.
  • Autophagy also contributes to salivary gland removal, but its role in midgut PCD remains unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of autophagy in midgut programmed cell death during Drosophila metamorphosis.
  • To determine whether caspases are essential for midgut removal.
  • To elucidate the interplay between caspases and autophagy in midgut PCD.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of combined caspase mutants and inhibition of caspase activity.
  • Assessment of midgut degradation rates in response to autophagy inhibition.
  • Evaluation of caspase activity in midguts with inhibited autophagy.

Main Results:

  • Canonical apoptotic pathways involving caspases are not required for midgut cell death.
  • Inhibition of autophagy significantly delays midgut degradation, independent of caspase activity.
  • Combined inhibition of caspases and autophagy does not further delay midgut removal.

Conclusions:

  • Autophagy, rather than caspases, is essential for programmed cell death in the Drosophila midgut.
  • This study provides in vivo evidence for caspase-independent PCD mediated by autophagy, even in the presence of significant caspase activity.

More Related Videos

Live Imaging of Apoptotic Cell Clearance during Drosophila Embryogenesis08:59

Live Imaging of Apoptotic Cell Clearance during Drosophila Embryogenesis

Published on: August 18, 2013

In Vivo Biosensor Tracks Non-apoptotic Caspase Activity in Drosophila13:21

In Vivo Biosensor Tracks Non-apoptotic Caspase Activity in Drosophila

Published on: November 27, 2016

Related Concept Videos

Autophagic Cell Death01:18

Autophagic Cell Death

Christian de Duve discovered “autophagy,” a process in which cellular components are engulfed by membrane-bound organelles called autophagosomes. The autophagosomes then fuse with lysosomes to digest the enclosed contents. Autophagy is generally activated in cells to prevent cell death. However, cell death is triggered when the damage is beyond repair.
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and pro-apoptotic...
Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy01:22

Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy

Cells respond to damage and stress through highly coordinated processes that decide whether they survive or undergo controlled self-destruction. Two major pathways involved in this regulation are apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, and autophagy, a survival mechanism that helps cells adapt to adverse conditions.ApoptosisApoptosis removes aged or injured cells to maintain tissue balance. During this process, the cell shrinks, chromatin condenses and fragments, and membrane-bound...
Overview of Cell Death01:30

Overview of Cell Death

Cell death is an essential process where the body gets rid of old or damaged cells. Cell proliferation and death need to be balanced, as an imbalance between the two may lead to cancer or autoimmune diseases.
Cell death was observed in the early 19th century, but there was no experimental evidence to prove it. In 1842, Carl Vogt first discovered cell death in a metamorphic toad; however, it was not termed ‘cell death.’ Scientists discovered different cell death pathways only in the 20th century...
Autophagy01:27

Autophagy

Autophagy is a self-digesting process by which a cell protects itself from threats both within and outside the cell, ranging from abnormal proteins to invading bacteria. In this process, obsolete components of the cell and invading microbes are degraded by hydrolytic enzymes active in an acidic environment of the lysosomal lumen.
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Cells01:17

Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Cells

Cells undergoing apoptosis form apoptotic bodies that must be removed immediately to prevent inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and necrosis. Phagocytosis is carried out by professional phagocytes such as macrophages or  immature dendritic cells. Non-professional phagocytes such as  epithelial cells and fibroblasts also take part in this process; however, they are not as effective as professional phagocytes. 
Normal cells contain receptors that prevent them from being recognized by phagocytes.
Apoptosis01:30

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a combination of two Greek words, 'apo' and 'ptosis,' meaning separation and falling off, respectively. Hippocrates used this word to describe gangrene, which was caused due to bandaging of fractured bones. Apoptosis was distinguished from necrosis in 1970 when John Kerr reported observations of morphological changes occurring during apoptosis. During one experiment, he observed that the disruption of blood supply to the liver tissue resulted in a size reduction of the tissue.