Highlights• Syd/JIP3 is required for proper Drosophila wing size• Syd/JIP3 functions downstream of Yorkie by stabilizing Diap1 to promote cell survival during rapid tissue growth • Yorkie-mediated tissue growth is highly sensitive to Syd/JIP3 dosage • Syd/JIP3 is downregulated at the end of the tissue expansion phase
AbstractHow organisms control organ size is not fully understood. We found that Syd/JIP3 is required for proper wing size in Drosophila. JIP3 mutations are associated with organ size defects in mammals.Our mechanistic studies place Syd/JIP3 downstream of Hippo. Syd/JIP3 is dispensable for Hippo transcriptional activity but it is essential for Diap1 protein stability and function. Consistent with this observation, Syd/JIP3 inhibition reduces Diap1 protein levels and, correspondingly, elevates cell death in wing tissues. Partial restoration of Diap1 rescues wing size. In addition, Syd/JIP3 is upregulated in response to Yorkie activation. Importantly, Syd/JIP3 is required for the full effect of Yorkie-mediated tissue overgrowth. Thus, Syd/JIP3 is a novel organ size regulator in the Hippo pathway. This study provides mechanistic insights into the recent and perplexing link between JIP3 mutations and organ size defects in mammals, including in humans where de novo JIP3 variants are associated with microcephaly.