Biomaterial Database

Programmed cell death reshapes the central nervous system during metamorphosis in insects. 2021

Gyunghee Lee, and Jae H Park

Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville TN 37996, United States.

Metamorphosis is fascinating and dramatic stage of postembryonic development in insects [1]. The most prominent metamorphic changes seen in holometabolous insects involve destruction of most larval structures and concomitant generation of adult ones. Such diverse cellular events are orchestrated by ecdysone. The central nervous system (CNS) is also extensively remodeled to process new sensory inputs; to coordinate new types of locomotion; and to perform higher-order decision making [2]. Programmed cell death (PCD) is an integral part of the metamorphic development. It eliminates obsolete larval tissues and extra cells that are generated from the morphogenesis of adult tissues. In the CNS, PCD of selected neurons and glial cells as well as reshaping of persistent larval cells are essential for establishing the adult CNS. In this review, we summarize the ecdysone signaling, and then molecular and cellular events associated with PCD primarily in the metamorphosing CNS of Drosophila melanogaster.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007313	Insecta	Members of the phylum ARTHROPODA composed or organisms characterized by division into three parts: head, thorax, and abdomen. They are the dominant group of animals on earth with several hundred thousand different kinds. Three orders, HEMIPTERA; DIPTERA; and SIPHONAPTERA; are of medical interest in that they cause disease in humans and animals. (From Borror et al., An Introduction to the Study of Insects, 4th ed, p1).	Insects,Insect
D008675	Metamorphosis, Biological	Profound physical changes during maturation of living organisms from the immature forms to the adult forms, such as from TADPOLES to frogs; caterpillars to BUTTERFLIES.	Biological Metamorphosis,Biological Metamorphoses,Metamorphoses, Biological
D002490	Central Nervous System	The main information-processing organs of the nervous system, consisting of the brain, spinal cord, and meninges.	Cerebrospinal Axis,Axi, Cerebrospinal,Axis, Cerebrospinal,Central Nervous Systems,Cerebrospinal Axi,Nervous System, Central,Nervous Systems, Central,Systems, Central Nervous
D004331	Drosophila melanogaster	A species of fruit fly frequently used in genetics because of the large size of its chromosomes.	D. melanogaster,Drosophila melanogasters,melanogaster, Drosophila
D004440	Ecdysone	A steroid hormone that regulates the processes of MOLTING or ecdysis in insects.	Molting Hormone
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D017209	Apoptosis	A regulated cell death mechanism characterized by distinctive morphologic changes in the nucleus and cytoplasm, including the endonucleolytic cleavage of genomic DNA, at regularly spaced, internucleosomal sites, i.e., DNA FRAGMENTATION. It is genetically programmed and serves as a balance to mitosis in regulating the size of animal tissues and in mediating pathologic processes associated with tumor growth.	Apoptosis, Extrinsic Pathway,Apoptosis, Intrinsic Pathway,Caspase-Dependent Apoptosis,Classic Apoptosis,Classical Apoptosis,Programmed Cell Death,Programmed Cell Death, Type I,Apoptoses, Extrinsic Pathway,Apoptoses, Intrinsic Pathway,Apoptosis, Caspase-Dependent,Apoptosis, Classic,Apoptosis, Classical,Caspase Dependent Apoptosis,Cell Death, Programmed,Classic Apoptoses,Extrinsic Pathway Apoptoses,Extrinsic Pathway Apoptosis,Intrinsic Pathway Apoptoses,Intrinsic Pathway Apoptosis
D018507	Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental	Any of the processes by which nuclear, cytoplasmic, or intercellular factors influence the differential control of gene action during the developmental stages of an organism.	Developmental Gene Expression Regulation,Embryologic Gene Expression Regulation,Gene Expression Regulation, Embryologic,Regulation of Gene Expression, Developmental,Regulation of Gene Expression, Embryologic,Regulation, Gene Expression, Developmental,Regulation, Gene Expression, Embryologic