CELL ABLATION BY ECTOPIC EXPRESSION OF CELL-DEATH GENES, CED-3 AND ICE, IN DROSOPHILA

We have developed a system for killing specific cells in Drosophila us ing ectopic expression of cell death genes. CED-3 and ICE (caspase-1) are proteins required for programmed cell death in the nematode Caenor habditis elegans and in mammals, respectively. Our previous study has shown that both ced-3 and Ice can elicit cell death in Drosophila. By expressing ced-3 or Ice in several kinds of cells using a GAL4-UAS sys tem and examining the resulting morphological defects, we show that th ese abnormalities are thought to be caused by the action of ced-3 or I ce genes. As cells are killed by apoptosis in our system, we could eli minate the possibility of harmful effects on the neighboring cells. Ou r system provides an alternative and novel cell ablation method to elu cidate mechanisms oi cell differentiation and cell-cell interactions d uring development in Drosophila.