Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published November 2006 | public
Journal Article

Caspase-Dependent Cell Death in Drosophila

Abstract

Cell death plays many roles during development, in the adult, and in the genesis of many pathological states. Much of this death is apoptotic in nature and requires the activity of members of the caspase family of proteases. It is now possible uniquely in Drosophila to carry out genetic screens for genes that determine the fate—life or death—of any population of cells during development and adulthood. This, in conjunction with the ability to obtain biochemical quantities of material, has made Drosophila a useful organism for exploring the mechanisms by which apoptosis is carried out and regulated. This review summarizes our knowledge of caspase-dependent cell death in Drosophila and compares that knowledge with what is known in worms and mammals. We also discuss the significance of recent work showing that a number of key cell death activators also play nonapoptotic roles. We highlight opportunities and outstanding questions along the way.

Additional Information

© 2006 by Annual Reviews. First published online as a Review in Advance on July 14, 2006. This work was supported by NIH grant GM57422 to B.A.H. and NIH grants NS048396 and NS042580 to M.G. M.G. is a Sloan Foundation Fellow. The authors thank J.R. Huh for help with the figures and J.R. Huh, C-H. Chen, and I. Muro for providing unpublished observations and comments on the manuscript.

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 20, 2023