The Atonal Proneural Transcription Factor Links Differentiation and Tumor Formation in Drosophila
2009
Atonal Links Differentiation and Tumor Formation in Fruit Flies
Sample size: 102
publication
Evidence: high
Author Information
Author(s): Bossuyt Wouter, De Geest Natalie, Aerts Stein, Leenaerts Iris, Marynen Peter, Hassan Bassem A
Primary Institution: VIB, Leuven, Belgium
Hypothesis
Master regulators of differentiation may be key regulators of tumor formation.
Conclusion
Loss of the atonal gene enhances tumor formation in Drosophila, while its gain of function inhibits tumor progression.
Supporting Evidence
- Loss of atonal function leads to a dramatic increase in tumor incidence.
- Gain of atonal function strongly inhibits tumor formation and metastasis.
- Atonal regulates cell proliferation and death via the JNK stress response pathway.
- Atonal's mammalian homolog, ATOH1, is also a tumor suppressor gene.
Takeaway
This study shows that a gene called atonal helps cells become specialized and can prevent tumors from forming in fruit flies.
Methodology
Loss- and gain-of-function analyses were performed in Drosophila to assess the role of atonal in tumor formation.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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