Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 28, 2026

In Vivo Biosensor Tracks Non-apoptotic Caspase Activity in Drosophila
13:21

In Vivo Biosensor Tracks Non-apoptotic Caspase Activity in Drosophila

Published on: November 27, 2016

9.6K

Drosophila MOF regulates DIAP1 and induces apoptosis in a JNK dependent pathway

Sreerangam N C V L Pushpavalli1, Arpita Sarkar2, M Janaki Ramaiah2,3

  • 1Agricultural Research Station, Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Tandur, 501141, Telangana, India.

Apoptosis : an International Journal on Programmed Cell Death
|December 30, 2015
PubMed

Insights

The study reveals that Mof protein regulates apoptosis in Drosophila by controlling histone acetylation and activating caspases and JNK pathways. Mof

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Histone modifications regulate gene expression and cellular processes.
  • Mof (Male-specific lethal withoutНomolog) protein in Drosophila is crucial for H4K16 acetylation.
  • Mof's role in apoptosis and its regulatory pathways are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of Mof in apoptosis during Drosophila development.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying Mof-mediated apoptosis, including caspase and JNK pathway involvement.
  • To determine if Mof directly regulates the expression of apoptosis-related genes like Diap1.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized Drosophila melanogaster models, including mof mutants and RNAi.
  • Induced apoptosis using mof knockdown and pro-apoptotic genes (Hid, Reaper, Grim).
  • Assessed apoptosis via caspase activation, caspase inhibitors (P35, Diap1), JNK pathway mutants (bsk, tak1), and Mof localization studies.

Main Results:

  • Mof deficiency leads to reduced larval imaginal disc size and increased apoptosis.
  • Knockdown of mof induces apoptosis dependent on caspases and the JNK pathway.
  • Overexpression of Mof rescues apoptosis and restores eye development, suggesting a direct role in regulating Diap1 transcription via H4K16 acetylation.

Conclusions:

  • Mof plays a critical role in regulating programmed cell death in Drosophila.
  • Mof-induced apoptosis involves caspase activation and is mediated by the JNK signaling pathway.
  • Mof directly upregulates Diap1 expression through histone H4K16 acetylation at the Diap1 promoter.
Keywords:
ApoptosisDiap1Diap1 promoterGrimH4K16AcHidMofReaper

More Related Videos

In Vitro Cleavage Assays using Purified Recombinant Drosophila Caspases for Substrate Screening08:16

In Vitro Cleavage Assays using Purified Recombinant Drosophila Caspases for Substrate Screening

Published on: October 6, 2022

2.0K
Dissection of the Drosophila Pupal Retina for Immunohistochemistry, Western Analysis, and RNA Isolation08:47

Dissection of the Drosophila Pupal Retina for Immunohistochemistry, Western Analysis, and RNA Isolation

Published on: March 15, 2019

9.2K

Related Concept Videos

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:17

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The extrinsic apoptotic pathway is initiated when extracellular death-inducing signals, such as specific cytokines, activate the death receptors expressed on the cell surface. The immune cells involved in this pathway are natural killer cells (NK cells) and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. NK cells are critical in innate immune response, while cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are associated with adaptive immune response. These cells recognize specific receptors expressed on the altered cells and activate...
9.3K
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...
9.2K
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...
16.9K
MAPK Signaling Cascades01:07

MAPK Signaling Cascades

Mitogen-activated protein kinase, or MAPK pathway, activates three sequential kinases to regulate cellular responses such as proliferation, differentiation, survival, and apoptosis. The canonical MAPK pathway starts with a mitogen or growth factor binding to an RTK. The activated RTKs stimulate Ras, which recruits Raf or MAP3 Kinase (MAPKKK), the first kinase of the MAPK signaling cascade. Raf further phosphorylates and activates MEK or MAP2 Kinases (MAPKK), which in turn phosphorylates MAP...
9.2K