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Abstract
Transcription factors of the Myc proto-oncogene family promote cell division, but
how they do this is poorly understood. Here we address the functions of Drosophila
Myc (dMyc) during development. Using mosaic analysis in the fly wing, we show that
loss of dMyc retards cellular growth (accumulation of cell mass) and reduces cell
size, whereas dMyc overproduction increases growth rates and cell size. dMyc-induced
growth promotes G1/S progression but fails to accelerate cell division because G2/M
progression is independently controlled by Cdc25/String. We also show that the secreted
signal Wingless patterns growth in the wing primordium by modulating dMyc expression.
Our results indicate that dMyc links patterning signals to cell division by regulating
primary targets involved in cellular growth and metabolism.