Loss of histone deacetylase HDAC1 induces cell death in Drosophila epithelial cells through JNK and Hippo signaling

• Inactivation of fly HDAC1/2 ortholog Rpd3 induces apoptosis and clone elimination.
• Clone elimination is mediated by increased JNK signaling and reduced Yki activity.
• Rpd3-inactivation induces JNK signaling primarily through NuRD complex.
• Rpd3-inactivation inhibits Yki activity primarily through Sin3 complex.

Inactivation of HDAC1 and its homolog HDAC2 or addition of HDAC inhibitors in mammalian systems induces apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and developmental defects. Although these phenotypes have been extensively characterized, the precise underlying mechanisms remain unclear, particularly in in vivo settings. In this study, we show that inactivation of Rpd3, the only HDAC1 and HDAC2 ortholog in Drosophila, induced apoptosis and clone elimination in the developing eye and wing imaginal discs. Depletion of Rpd3 by RNAi cell-autonomously increased JNK activities and decreased activities of Yki, the nuclear effecter of Hippo signaling pathway. In addition, inhibition of JNK activities largely rescued Rpd3 RNAi-induced apoptosis, but did not affect its inhibition of Yki activities. Conversely, increasing the Yki activities largely rescued Rpd3 RNAi-induced apoptosis, but did not affect its induction of JNK activities. Furthermore, inactivation of Mi-2, a core component of the Rpd3-containing NuRD complex strongly induced JNK activities; while inactivation of Sin3A, a key component of the Rpd3-containing Sin3 complex, significantly inhibited Yki activities. Taken together, these results reveal that inactivation of Rpd3 independently regulates JNK and Yki activities and that both Hippo and JNK signaling pathways contribute to Rpd3 RNAi-induced apoptosis.