| dc.description.abstract |
<p>Endopolyploid cells (hereafter - polyploid cells), which contain whole genome duplications
in an otherwise diploid organism, play vital roles in development and physiology of
diverse organs such as our heart and liver. Polyploidy is also observed with high
frequency in many tumors, and division of such cells frequently creates aneuploidy
(chromosomal imbalances), a hallmark of cancer. Despite its frequent occurrence and
association with aneuploidy, little is known about the specific role that polyploidy
plays in diverse contexts. Using a new model tissue, the Drosophila rectal papilla,
we sought to uncover connections between polyploidy and aneuploidy during organ development.
Our lab previously discovered that the papillar cells of the Drosophila hindgut undergo
developmentally programmed polyploid cell divisions, and that these polyploid cell
divisions are highly error-prone. Time-lapse studies of polyploid mitosis revealed
that the papillar cells undergo a high percentage of tripolar anaphase, which causes
extreme aneuploidy. Despite this massive chromosome imbalance, we found the tripolar
daughter cells are viable and support normal organ development and function, suggesting
acquiring extra genome sets enables a cell to tolerate the genomic alterations incurred
by aneuploidy. We further extended these findings by seeking mechanisms by which the
papillar cells tolerated this resultant aneuploidy.</p>
|
|
