The function of the Drosophila caspase DRONC in cell death and development.

dronc, the only apical caspase in Drosophila, is thought to be essential and non-redundant for apoptosis. Recent analyses of several independently derived dronc mutants have demonstrated that DRONC is required for normal development. Interestingly, analysis of these mutants show that DRONC is not essential for cell death in all tissues and that in some cases, DRONC-independent effector caspase activation and apoptosis can occur. These mutants provide a valuable resource to investigate the recently reported roles of DRONC in nonapoptotic pathways. Insights gained from the dronc mutants will help in advancing our understanding of caspase function in various developmental pathways.