Hemocytes or blood cells play an important role in the cellular immune response of Drosophila and are involved in the phagocytosis of pathogenic microbes and in the encapsulation of larger foreign invaders. Recent studies have highlighted striking similarities between innate immunity in vertebrates and the immune response of insects. The precise mechanism by which distinct types of blood cells are generated in Drosophila is still poorly understood. Our preliminary experiments show that Notch may play a crucial role in cell-fate determination during hematopoiesis. A goal of this proposal is to study the specific function of Notch in blood cell development by using mutant forms of Notch and to test if the Notch and Jak-Stat pathways interact to regulate hematopoiesis in Drosophila. In addition, we propose to conduct a genetic screen to identify genes that play an important role in regulating the proliferation of blood cell precursors and in specifying distinct hematopoietic fates. We anticipate that these studies will provide insights into the genetic pathways that regulate both Drosophila and mammalian hematopoiesis.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F32)
Project #
5F32HL010434-02
Application #
6402751
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-HEM-2 (02))
Program Officer
Werner, Ellen
Project Start
2001-08-01
Project End
2004-07-31
Budget Start
2001-08-01
Budget End
2004-07-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2001
Total Cost
$49,412
Indirect Cost
Name
Massachusetts General Hospital
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02199