Analysis of a novel mechanism by which the orientation of planar cell polarity is reversed

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K14718
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Cell biology
• Research Institution: Akita University
• Principal Investigator: YAMAZAKI Masakazu 秋田大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (40373378)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 秋山 正和 北海道大学, 電子科学研究所, 助教 (10583908) ; 鮎川 友紀 秋田大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (80586165)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 発生・分化 / 細胞・組織 / 平面内細胞極性 / PCP / 数理モデル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Planar cell polarity (PCP) is the collective alignment of polarized cells within the plane of the epithelium. In the Drosophila notum, the sensory bristles consistently point from anterior to posterior, and a defect in the PCP pathway on the notum leads to misoriented bristles. We previously carried out a genome-wide RNAi screen using the Drosophila notum and identified novel genes involved in multiple developmental processes including PCP. One PCP gene we identified in the RNAi screen is jitterbug (jbug), which is the Drosophila filamin ortholog. While RNAi of jbug results in misaligned bristles on the notum like that of known PCP genes, double RNAi of jbug and a member of the PCP core genes displays a unique phenotype in which the orientation of bristles and trichomes is reversed. In this study, using a combination of experiment and theory, we found that external forces generated by the indirect flight muscles play a critical role in the reversed PCP phenotype.

Free Research Field

細胞生物学