Balanced JAK/STAT signaling is critical to maintain the functional and structural integrity of the Drosophila respiratory epithelium

Signaling mediated by the Janus kinase (JAK)/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) pathway is critical for maintaining cellular and functional homeostasis in the lung. Thus, chronically activated JAK/STAT signaling is causally associated with lung diseases such as lung cancer, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. To elucidate the molecular processes that transform increased JAK/STAT signaling in airway epithelial cells into the known pathological states, we used a highly simplified model system, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Here, the JAK/STAT pathway is permanently active in almost all airway cells and responds to airborne stressors with increased activity. Silencing of this signaling pathway in epithelial cells resulted in apoptosis. Since the above-mentioned lung diseases are commonly associated with increased JAK/STAT signaling, we assessed this by its ectopic activation in the respiratory epithelium of Drosophila. This intervention triggered cell-autonomous structural changes in epithelial cells. These structural changes included phenotypes associated with asthma, namely, thickening of the epithelium, substantial narrowing of the air-conducting space, and impairment of the secretory epicuticular structure of the tracheae. Pharmacological manipulation of JAK/STAT signaling reversed this pathological phenotype. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that several biological processes were affected, which is consistent with the impairment of junction protein trafficking also observed in this study. These results indicate that balanced JAK/STAT signaling is essential for the functionality of the respiratory epithelium and, by extension, the entire organ. In contrast, chronic overactivation of this signaling leads to massive structural changes that are closely associated with pathologies typical of chronic inflammatory lung diseases. HighlightsO_LIJAK/STAT signaling is active in the entire Drosophila respiratory system in all developmental stages. C_LIO_LIThe signaling pathway is indispensable for the survival of the tracheal cell. C_LIO_LIOveractivation of the signaling has significant effects on tracheal development and also displays a human disease-associated phenotype in Drosophila trachea. C_LI O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=101 SRC="FIGDIR/small/160929v2_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (27K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1f82913org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@150a79corg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@2c1130org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@11c7cf8_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG