Abstract

The overall goal of this proposal is to further understand events in the Drosophila embryo that play a role in the modulation of screw (scw) activity and its spatial restriction to dorsal cells. Scw is a member of the TGF family whose RNA is uniformly localized, but its activity is not required in the ventral region. There are three models: (1) that scw and dorsally localized dpp form heterodimers that are necessary for dorsal structures; (2) that tolloid, a BMP-1 like metalloprotease that is dorsally localized, is necessary to process scw to its active form; and (3) that ventral short gastrulation prevents scw function. There are four aims.
Specific Aim #1 centers on structure-function relationships in the scw protein.
Specific Aim #2 addresses the possibility of scw involvement in later stages of development.
Specific Aim #3 focuses on the establishment of molecular assays to test models for modulation of scw activity.
Specific Aim #4 is to characterize scw biochemically.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM055442-03
Application #
2750136
Study Section
Cellular Biology and Physiology Subcommittee 1 (CBY)
Project Start
1996-08-01
Project End
2001-07-31
Budget Start
1998-08-01
Budget End
1999-07-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1998
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
University of California Irvine
Department
Anatomy/Cell Biology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
161202122
City
Irvine
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92697

  Publications

Künnapuu, Jaana; Tauscher, Petra M; Tiusanen, Nina et al. (2014) Cleavage of the Drosophila screw prodomain is critical for a dynamic BMP morphogen gradient in embryogenesis. Dev Biol 389:149-59
Ellis, J E; Parker, L; Cho, J et al. (2010) Activin signaling functions upstream of Gbb to regulate synaptic growth at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction. Dev Biol 342:121-33
Bornemann, Douglas J; Park, Sangbin; Phin, Sopheap et al. (2008) A translational block to HSPG synthesis permits BMP signaling in the early Drosophila embryo. Development 135:1039-47
Yao, Li-Chin; Phin, Sopheap; Cho, Jane et al. (2008) Multiple modular promoter elements drive graded brinker expression in response to the Dpp morphogen gradient. Development 135:2183-92
Yao, Li-Chin; Blitz, Ira L; Peiffer, Daniel A et al. (2006) Schnurri transcription factors from Drosophila and vertebrates can mediate Bmp signaling through a phylogenetically conserved mechanism. Development 133:4025-34
Parker, Louise; Ellis, Jeremy E; Nguyen, Minh Q et al. (2006) The divergent TGF-beta ligand Dawdle utilizes an activin pathway to influence axon guidance in Drosophila. Development 133:4981-91
Torres-Vazquez, J; Park, S; Warrior, R et al. (2001) The transcription factor Schnurri plays a dual role in mediating Dpp signaling during embryogenesis. Development 128:1657-70
Nguyen, M; Parker, L; Arora, K (2000) Identification of maverick, a novel member of the TGF-beta superfamily in Drosophila. Mech Dev 95:201-6
Torres-Vazquez, J; Warrior, R; Arora, K (2000) schnurri is required for dpp-dependent patterning of the Drosophila wing. Dev Biol 227:388-402
Nguyen, M; Park, S; Marques, G et al. (1998) Interpretation of a BMP activity gradient in Drosophila embryos depends on synergistic signaling by two type I receptors, SAX and TKV. Cell 95:495-506