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Anaplastic lymphoma kinase spares organ growth during nutrient restriction in Drosophila

Louise Y Cheng1, Andrew P Bailey, Sally J Leevers

  • 1Division of Developmental Neurobiology, Medical Research Council National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK.

Cell
|August 6, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Developing animals protect critical organ growth during starvation. In Drosophila, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (Alk) spares central nervous system (CNS) growth by regulating nutrient sensing and PI3-kinase signaling.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Developing animals prioritize critical organ growth during starvation.
  • The central nervous system (CNS) is preferentially spared during nutrient restriction (NR).
  • Mechanisms regulating privileged tissue growth in starvation remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying brain-sparing during nutrient restriction in Drosophila.
  • To elucidate the role of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (Alk) in protecting neural progenitor growth.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism.
  • Investigated the function of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (Alk) and its signaling pathways (Slimfast/Rheb/TOR complex 1, PI3-kinase).
  • Examined the expression of Alk ligand Jelly belly (Jeb) in the glial cell niche.

Main Results:

  • Confirmed that the CNS is more highly spared than other tissues during NR in Drosophila.
  • Demonstrated that Alk protects neuroblast growth against nutrient and insulin-like peptide reductions during NR.
  • Showed Alk suppresses amino acid sensing requirements and primarily activates PI3-kinase signaling.
  • Identified constitutive Jeb expression from glial cells as crucial for Alk-mediated PI3-kinase maintenance.

Conclusions:

  • Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (Alk) plays a critical role in brain-sparing during starvation in Drosophila.
  • Alk employs dual mechanisms to maintain neuroblast growth under nutrient restriction.
  • This study reveals a conserved brain-sparing mechanism with implications for understanding tumor growth in starvation-resistant cancers.

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