Conclusions
Our work reveals an oncogenic role of Cno and creates a new type of Drosophila tumour model for cancer research.
Methods
With transgenic fly lines that overexpress or knock down specific signalling components, we perform genetic analysis to investigate the precise role of the polarity protein Canoe (Cno) in tumorigenesis and the downstream pathways.
Results
We show that overexpression of cno simultaneously activates JNK and Ras-MEK-ERK signalling, resulting in mixed phenotypes of both overproliferation and cell death in the Drosophila wing disc. Moderate alleviation of JNK activation eliminates the effect of Cno on cell death, leading to organ overgrowth and cell migration that mimic the formation and invasion of tumours. In addition, we find that the Hippo pathway acts downstream of JNK and Ras signalling to mediate the effect of Cno on cell proliferation. Conclusions: Our work reveals an oncogenic role of Cno and creates a new type of Drosophila tumour model for cancer research.