A Cut/cohesin axis alters the chromatin landscape to facilitate neuroblast death.

Precise control of cell death in the nervous system is essential for development. Spatial and temporal factors activate the death of neural stem cells (neuroblasts) by controlling the transcription of multiple cell death genes through a shared enhancer. The activity of this enhancer is controlled by and , but additional inputs are needed for proper specificity.

Cell death regulates muscle fiber number.

Cell death can have both cell autonomous and non-autonomous roles in normal development. Previous studies have shown that the central cell death regulators grim and reaper are required for the developmentally important elimination of stem cells and neurons in the developing central nervous system (CNS). Here we show that cell death in the nervous system is also required for normal muscle development.