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. 2018 Mar 6;2018:4258387. doi: 10.1155/2018/4258387

Table 1.

Cooperating genes in Drosophila tumorigenesis.

Cell-autonomous cooperative tumorigenesis
1st mutation/mechanism 2nd mutation/mechanism Phenotype/references
Cell polarity gene perturbations

Loss of function in apicobasal polarity regulators
Results in cell polarity loss, JNK activation, mild Hippo pathway impairment
Neoplastic overgrowth in whole tissue context and cell polarity loss and apoptosis in clonal context (reviewed in [19])

Scribble (scrib, dlg, lgl) and Par and Crb polarity module gene loss of function
Scribble module loss of function phenotypes dependent on aPKC activation 

Ras V12 overexpression
Dependent on ROS production, TNF (Egr)-JNK signalling, caspase (Dronc) activity
Dependent on impairment of Hippo signalling
Dependent on PI3K signalling and glutamate utilization
Invasive neoplastic tumours of the larval eye-antennal epithelium [23, 48, 57, 60, 6568]

scrib loss of function, aPKC-CA overexpression, crb overexpression Inhibition of JNK signalling Neoplastic tumour overgrowth in eye-antennal epithelium [66]

lgl or scrib loss of function 
Results in JNK activation
Ras V12 overexpression
Requires Hippo pathway impairment
Neoplastic tumours in the larval wing epithelium [49]

scrib loss of function  
Results in JNK activation
Notch intra (Act) overexpression Invasive neoplastic tumours in the larval eye-antennal epithelium [23, 66, 69]

scrib loss of function  
Results in JNK activation 


Abrupt (BTB-POZ Zn finger transcription factor) overexpression
Results in JNK activation
Results in Hippo pathway impairment
Results in downregulation of differentiation and Ecdysone response genes
Invasive neoplastic tumours in the eye-antennal and wing epithelial tissues [70]

scrib loss of function 

Taiman (Ecdysone coactivator)
Results in reduced differentiation
Invasive neoplastic tumours in the eye-antennal and wing epithelial tissues [70]

scrib loss of function 
Results in JNK activation
Slit-Robo2-Ena loss of function Overgrown tumours in the eye-antennal epithelial tissues [45]

scrib loss of function  
Results in JNK activation 

Slit-Robo overexpression
Requires Ena
Results in JNK activation and activation of a positive feedback loop
Excessive extrusion and luminal tumour overgrowth in larval eye-antennal epithelial tissues [45]

lgl loss of function  
Results in Hippo pathway impairment
Inhibition of JNK signalling Invasive neoplastic tumours of the larval/pupal eye neural-epithelium [71]

lgl loss of function Myc overexpression Invasive neoplastic tumours of the larval wing epithelium [50]

lgl loss of function Hippo pathway impairment Neoplastic tumours of the larval wing epithelium [49]

lgl loss of function Notch intra (Act)  overexpression Neoplastic tumours of the larval wing epithelium [72]

scrib, dlg or lgl depletion 

cno mutants
Results in activation of Ras-MAPK signalling
Enhanced neoplastic tumours of the antennal epithelium [73]

Par-1 overexpression
Results in cell polarity loss and Hippo pathway impairment
Eye-antennal and wing tissue overgrowth [74]

Par-1 overexpression Notch intra (Act)  overexpression Hyperplastic eye-antennal epithelium [75]

Actin cytoskeletal regulators

Activation of Actin cytoskeletal regulators  
Rac1, RhoGEF2, Pbl, RhoV14, Rho1, RokCAT, sqhEE
Results in activation of JNK signalling and cell morphology changes
RasV12 (Raf gain-of-function) overexpression Invasive neoplastic tumours of the larval eye-antennal epithelium [76, 77]

RhoGEF2 overexpression 
Results in JNK activation and cell morphology changes
Abrupt (BTB-POZ Zn finger transcription factor) overexpression
Results in reduced expression of differentiation gene, Dac
Neoplastic tumours of the larval eye-antennal epithelial tissue [78]

Src64B overexpression 
Results in JNK activation and cell morphology changes
Blocking JNK
Rac1-Dia, Ras-MAPK, Hippo pathway impairment
Eye-antennal epithelial tissue overgrowth [79]

csk loss of function 
(Src activation)  
Depends on Actin cytoskeleton regulators, JNK activation, STAT activation, Hippo pathway impairment, Wingless (Wnt) expression/signalling and insulin-PI3K signalling
RasV12 overexpression
Promotes cell proliferation and survival
Invasive neoplastic tumours of the larval eye-antennal epithelium [8085]

Src42A or Src64B overexpression 
Results in Egr independent activation of JNK and Jak-Stat signalling
Notchintra  (Act) overexpression


Neoplastic tumours of the larval eye-antennal and wing epithelium [86]

Src64B overexpression 
Results in cell morphology changes
Abrupt overexpression
Reduces expression of differentiation gene and Dac and Dll
Neoplastic tumours of the larval eye-antennal epithelial tissue [78]

Troponin I overexpression 

Ras V12 overexpression
Notchintra (Act) overexpression
lgl mutant RasV12 overexpression
Tumour overgrowth or neoplastic tumour overgrowth in wing epithelial tissue [87]

Signalling pathway deregulation

Ras V12 overexpression
Results in tissue overgrowth, which depends upon EGF-EGFR activation and Arf6 mediated Hedgehog signalling
Eye-antennal and wing epithelial tissue overgrowth [88]

TNF-JNK signalling Invasive neoplastic tumours in the larval eye-antennal epithelium [76, 8991]

Immune signalling and activation of JNK Invasive neoplastic tumours of the adult hindgut epithelium [92]

Ben/dUev1a E2 ubiquitin ligase overexpression
Results in JNK activation (via binding Traf2)
Invasive neoplastic tumours in the larval eye-antennal epithelium [9395]

sds22 (PP1) loss of function
Results in cell morphology/polarity loss
Results in Myosin II, JNK activation
Invasive neoplastic tumours of the larval eye-antennal epithelium [96]

PP6 phosphatase (FMT, PpV) knock down
Results in Tak1-JNK activation
Invasive neoplastic tumours of the eye-antennal epithelium [97]

Infection/inflammation
Results in Imd-dTab2-dTak1-JNK signalling and MMP1 expression
Hindgut epithelial tumour invasion [92, 98]

Impaired Hippo pathway signalling
Results in upregulation of Ras pathway genes, Upd-Jak-Stat signalling
Eye-antennal and wing tissue overgrowth [65, 99]

Lysosomal protein loss of function—deep orange, carnation, vps16A Invasive neoplastic tumours of the larval eye-antennal epithelium [100]

Autophagy loss of function—e.g., Atg8a, Atg7, Atg9, Atg1, Atg13, Syx17
Requires ROS and JNK upregulation
Invasive neoplastic tumours of the larval eye-antennal epithelium [101]

Chromosome remodelling complex mutation polyhomeotic
Depends on ectopic Notch activation
Invasive neoplastic tumours of the larval eye-antennal epithelium [102]

Chinmo (BTB-POZ Zn finger transcription factor) overexpression Overgrown tumours in the eye-antennal epithelial tissues [69]

Fruitless (BTB-POZ Zn finger transcription factor) overexpression Overgrown tumours in the eye-antennal epithelial tissues [69]

PTEN knockdown
(Elevated PI3K signalling)
Larval-Pupal tracheal epithelial tissue invasive tumours [103]

apc (Wingless/Wnt) signalling Adult midgut epithelial tissue overgrowth [104, 105]

p53, apc, pten knockdown
dSmad4, apc, pten knockdown
Adult hindgut epithelial tissue invasive tumours [106]

pico (MRL) overexpression
chickadee (Profilin) overexpression
mal (SRF cofactor gene) overexpression
Requires JNK-MMP1 activity
Glial cell overgrowth and invasion [107]

EGFR activation/overexpression
Depends on Ras and Hh signalling
Eye-antennal and wing epithelial tissue overgrowth [88]

fat loss of function
(Hippo pathway impairment)
Eye-antennal and wing epithelial tissue overgrowth [108]

bantam micro-RNA expression
Results in downregulation of Socs36E
Leads to increased Jak-Stat signalling
Invasive overgrowth of the larval wing epithelium [109]

miR-10 or miR-375 Micro-RNA expression
Results in downregulation of Psq transcription factor
Invasive overgrowth of the larval eye-antennal and wing epithelium [52]

miR-8 Micro-RNA expression
Results in downregulation of Peanut protein expression, cytokinesis blockage, formation of polyploid cells
Invasive overgrowth of the larval wing epithelium [110]

PI3K pathway activation
Requires Tor, Sin1, Rictor, Myc, Cyclin D-Cdk4, Rb-E2F and Cdc25
Requires RIOK1, RIOK2
Glia cell invasive brain tumours and eye neural-epithelium tumours [111113]

Notch intra (Act) /Delta overexpression
Results in tissue overgrowth
Eye-antennal and wing tissue overgrowth (reviewed by [114])

Notchintra  (Act) overexpression Mef2 overexpression Invasive neoplastic tumours of the larval eye neural-epithelium [115]

Notchintra  (Act) overexpression Chinmo (BTB-POZ Zn finger transcription factor) overexpression Overgrown tumours in the eye-antennal epithelial tissues [69]

Notchintra  (Act) overexpression Fruitless (BTB-POZ Zn finger transcription factor) overexpression Overgrown tumours in the eye-antennal epithelial tissues [69]

Delta overexpression Overexpression of transcription factors Psq/Lola (eyeful model) Invasive tumours larval/pupal eye neural-epithelium, which are capable of differentiation to express ELAV [116]

Delta overexpression Overexpression of Akt or PI3K (Dp110) Invasive tumours larval/pupal eye neural-epithelium, which are capable of differentiation (ELAV expression) [117]

Delta overexpression
Results in repression of boi gene expression and reduced Hedgehog signalling
Overexpression of mir-7 micro-RNA
Results in downregulation of ihog translation and reduced Hedgehog signalling
Eye-antennal disc overgrowth and invasive cells cable of differentiation [118]

Delta overexpression Overexpression of Zfh1 (Zeb1 family transcription factor gene) Invasive tumours larval/pupal eye neural-epithelium, which are capable differentiation to express ELAV [119]

Delta overexpression
Delta with Pipsqueak/Lola overexpression (eyeful model)
Knockdown of atonal (transcription factor gene)
Results in reduced JNK signalling

Invasive tumours larval/pupal eye neural-epithelium, which are capable differentiation to express ELAV [120]

Delta overexpression
Delta with Pipsqueak/Lola overexpression (eyeful model)
Knockdown of cut (transcription factor gene)
Results in increased reaper  expression and elevated PI3K-Akt signalling

Invasive tumours in larval/pupal eye-antennal epithelium, which are capable differentiation to express ELAV [121]

Hippo pathway impairment (Yki overexpression)
Results in increased tissue growth through upregulation of cell growth (Myc), proliferation (CycE) and antiapoptotic genes (Diap1), elevation of Upd-Jak-Stat signalling
Increased tissue growth (reviewed by [122])

BAP (Brahma) complex knockdown (brm, Snr1, mor, Bap111, osa)
Results in upregulation of Wingless (Wnt) and Dpp signalling
Neoplastic tumour overgrowth in larval wing epithelial tissue [123]

Taiman (Ecdysone Receptor coactivator) overexpression
Results in expression of germline stem cell factors
Hyperplastic tumour overgrowth in larval wing epithelial tissue [124]

Guidance receptors

Frazzled (Dcc) loss of function and expression of the Caspase inhibitor P35
Results in an invasive phenotype in eye epithelial cells, but cells can differentiate
Inhibition of JNK signalling

Requires Rho1

Invasive, but differentiated, tumours in larval/pupal eye-antennal epithelial tissues [125]

Mitotic checkpoint, chromosome instability, DNA damage repair genes

Nek2 (centrosomal kinase) overexpression




Ret MEN2B overexpression—elevated Ras, PI3K, Src, JNK signalling
Csk  RasV12
Results in Rac1, Rho1, Wg signalling and elevated expression of Diap1, MMP1
Results in PI3K signalling
Invasive tumours in larval eye-antennal epithelial tissue [126]

bub3 knockdown
Results in aneuploidy
p35 overexpression to block effector caspase activity
Neoplastic overgrowth of wing epithelial cells [127]

DNA repair or DNA damage checkpoint mutants
Depletion of okra (DmRAD54) or spnA (DmRAD51)
(Homologous recombination of DNA double strand-breaks in G2)
grp (chk1) and mei-41 (ATR) knockdown
(DNA damage checkpoint)
Ionizing irradiation and p35 overexpression
Results in JNK activation, which leads to MMP1 and Wg upregulation
Overgrowth and cell delamination/migration in the wing epithelial tissue [128]