The mechanism of cargo transports in Drosophila photoreceptors

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K06663
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 44010:Cell biology-related
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Satoh Akiko 広島大学, 統合生命科学研究科(総), 教授 (30529037)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: ゴルジ体 / ショウジョウバエ / 視細胞 / 網膜

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Polarized membrane trafficking is essential for the construction and maintenance of multiple plasma membrane domains in the cell; however, its mechanism is not well understood. The highly polarized Drosophila photoreceptor is an excellent model for studying polarized transport. A single cross-section of the Drosophila retina contains many photoreceptors with three clearly differentiated plasma membrane domains, rhabdomere, stalk, and basolateral membrane. Here we found Crag/Rab10/Ehbp1 regulate the basolateral transport and Pcs activate Rab11 for the rhabdomere transport. We also analyzed the relationship between Golgi stacks and recycling endosomes, and found Golgi attached RE receives some kinds of cargos from Golgi and detach from Golgi for transport cargos to the plasma membrane.

Free Research Field

膜交通

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

複雑な構造を持つショウジョウバエ視細胞が、その構造を形成・維持するために必要な機構、極性輸送に関わる因子を同定し解析を行った。このような因子の欠損はしばしば網膜変性症を発症することから、人の疾患の原因解明や治療に重要な知見である。また、リサイクリングエンドソーム(RE)とゴルジ体の関係を解析した結果、REがこれまでトランスゴルジ網(TGN)と呼ばれてきた構造とほぼ同じ膜構造体ではないかと考えられた。これは、TGN. REの定義の再考を促す細胞生物学上の重要な発見である。