Wingless signaling regulates winner/loser status in Minute cell competition

Cells heterozygously mutant for a ribosomal protein gene, called Minute/+ mutants, are eliminated from epithelium by cell competition when surrounded by wild-type cells. Whereas several factors that regulate Minute cell competition have been identified, the mechanisms how winner/loser status is determined and thereby triggers cell competition are still elusive. To address this, we established two assay systems for Minute cell competition, namely (i) the CORE (competitive elimination of RpS3-RNAi-expressing cells) system in which RpS3-RNAi-expressing wing pouch cells are eliminated from wild-type wing disc and (ii) the SURE (supercompetition of RpS3-expressing clones in RpS3/+ tissue) system in which RpS3-over-expressing clones generated in RpS3/+ wing disc outcompete surrounding RpS3/+ cells. An ectopic over-expression screen using the CORE system identified Wg signaling as a critical regulator of Minute cell competition. Activation of Wg signaling in loser cells suppressed their elimination, whereas down-regulation of Wg signaling in loser cells enhanced their elimination. Furthermore, using the SURE system, we found that down-regulation of Wg signaling in winner cells suppressed elimination of neighboring losers. Our observations suggest that cellular Wg signaling activity is crucial for determining winner/loser status and thereby triggering Minute cell competition.