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Activated Src kinase promotes cell cannibalism in Drosophila

Alba Yurani Torres1, Maddalena Nano1, Joseph P Campanale1

  • 1Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.

The Journal of Cell Biology
|September 25, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Localized activation of Src family kinases (SFKs) drives cell cannibalism, where one cell engulfs another living cell. This aberrant phagocytosis occurs due to dysregulated Src activity, impacting cell differentiation.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Src family kinases (SFKs) regulate crucial cellular processes like proliferation and migration.
  • Elevated SFK expression is linked to cancer progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of localized Src kinase activation in cell behavior using Drosophila melanogaster border cells.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying Src-induced cell engulfment.

Main Methods:

  • Modulating Src expression and activity in Drosophila border cell clusters.
  • Investigating the involvement of integrins, SHARK, FAK, Rho GTPases, and Draper.

Main Results:

  • Increased Src kinase activity, via mutation or loss of negative regulators, induced cell engulfment.
  • The mechanism involved integrins, SHARK, FAK, and Rho GTPases, but not Draper.
  • Dysregulated Src activity led to cells engulfing other living cells.

Conclusions:

  • Localized Src activation promotes cell cannibalism, a form of aberrant phagocytosis.
  • Cells with dysregulated Src activity lose the ability to distinguish between self/non-self or living/dead cells.
  • This behavior contributes to malignant phenotypes in cancer.

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