Neoplastic tumour phenotypes were first observed in mutants for lethal giant larvae (lgl), discs large (dlg) and scribble (scrib), components of the baso-lateral septate junction complex that is required to regulate apico-basal polarity of epithelial cells (Agrawal et al., 1995; Bilder et al., 2000; Bilder and Perrimon, 2000; Bryant and Schubiger, 1971; Gateff, 1978; Gateff and Schneiderman, 1967; Woods and Bryant, 1989; reviewed in Ellenbroek et al. (2012); Enomoto and Igaki, 2011). This evidence concerns the gene SCRIB and neoplasm.