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Dual role of FGF in proliferation and endoreplication of Drosophila tracheal adult progenitor cells
Cristina de Miguel 1,† , Josefa Cruz 1,† , David Martín1, and Xavier Franch-Marro 1,*
1 Institute of Evolutionary Biology (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas–Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
These authors contributed equally to this work.
*Correspondence to:Xavier Franch-Marro, E-mail: xavier.franch@ibe.upf-csic.es
J Mol Cell Biol, Volume 12, Issue 1, January 2020, 32-41,  https://doi.org/10.1093/jmcb/mjz055
Keyword: FGF, trachea, adult progenitors, cut, proliferation, endoreplication, Pnt, Fzr
Adult progenitor cells activation is a key event in the formation of adult organs. In Drosophila, formation of abdominal adult trachea depends on the specific activation of tracheal adult progenitors (tracheoblasts) at the Tr4 and Tr5 spiracular branches. Proliferation of these tracheoblasts generates a pool of tracheal cells that migrate toward the posterior part of the trachea by the activation of the branchless/fibroblast growth factor (Bnl/FGF) signaling to form the abdominal adult trachea. Here, we show that, in addition to migration, Bnl/FGF signaling, mediated by the transcription factor Pointed, is also required for tracheoblast proliferation. This tracheoblast activation relies on the expression of the FGF ligand bnl in their nearby branches. Finally, we show that, in the absence of the transcription factor Cut (Ct), Bnl/FGF signaling induces endoreplication of tracheoblasts partially by promoting fizzy-related expression. Altogether, our results suggest a dual role of Bnl/FGF signaling in tracheoblasts, inducing both proliferation and endoreplication, depending on the presence or absence of the transcription factor Ct, respectively.