Programmed cell death occurs as a normal part of oocyte development in Drosophila. For each egg that is formed, 15 germline-derived nurse cells transfer their cytoplasmic contents into the oocyte and die. Disruption of apoptosis or autophagy only partially inhibits the death of the nurse cells, indicating that other mechanisms significantly contribute to nurse cell death. Recently, we demonstrated that the surrounding stretch follicle cells non-autonomously promote nurse cell death during late oogenesis and that phagocytosis genes including draper, ced-12, and the JNK pathway are crucial for this process. When phagocytosis genes are inhibited in the follicle cells, events specifically associated with death of the nurse cells are impaired. Death of the nurse cells is not completely blocked in draper mutants, suggesting that other engulfment receptors are involved. Indeed, we found that the integrin subunit, αPS3, is enriched on stretch follicle cells during late oogenesis and is required for elimination of the nurse cells. Moreover, double mutant analysis revealed that integrins act in parallel to draper. Death of nurse cells in the Drosophila ovary is a unique example of programmed cell death that is both non-apoptotic and non-cell autonomously controlled.

程序性细胞死亡是果蝇卵母细胞发育的正常部分。对于每个形成的卵，有15个种系衍生的护士细胞将其细胞质内容物转移到卵母细胞中并死亡。凋亡或自噬的破坏仅部分抑制了护士细胞的死亡，表明其他机制显着促进了护士细胞的死亡。最近，我们证明了周围的拉伸卵泡细胞非自主地促进了晚期卵子发生过程中护士细胞的死亡，吞噬作用基因包括draper，ced-12，而JNK途径对此过程至关重要。当吞噬作用基因在卵泡细胞中被抑制时，与护士细胞死亡特别相关的事件就会受损。悬垂突变体中未完全阻断护士细胞的死亡，这表明还涉及其他吞噬受体。实际上，我们发现整联蛋白亚基αPS3在后期卵子发生过程中富集在拉伸卵泡细胞上，这是消除哺乳细胞所必需的。而且，双重突变体分析显示整联蛋白与铺盖布平行地起作用。果蝇卵巢中护士细胞的死亡是非程序性和非细胞自主控制的程序性细胞死亡的独特例子。