Screen Reveals Novel Roles for Tau, and Morphogen Gradients in Resolving an Epithelial Identity Crisis
Epithelia, surrounding our organs and bodies, form the first line of defence against environmental insults such as wounding and infection. A constant cell turnover is essential for the renewal and integrity of the epithelium. The high turnover leads to high frequency of mistakes, and makes epithelial cancers, termed carcinomas, the most prominent cancer type. Hence, epithelial turnover and…
Epithelial cells, covering our body's organs and surfaces, serve as the frontline defense against external harm such as injury and infection. These cells undergo continuous turnover to ensure renewal and maintain integrity, making cancerous tumours, known as carcinomas, the most prevalent form of cancer. Controlling epithelial turnover and homeostasis is therefore crucial.
The developing Drosophila wing, a two-layered epithelium, offers a prime model for investigating epithelial development and homeostasis. Researchers conducted a three-step screening process, aiming to uncover new components in epithelial maintenance. One such component is the selector gene, functioning as a location marker during development, where cells bearing incorrect selector genes for their location are eradicated from the epithelium.
By manipulating the Apterous gene, responsible for dorsal identity in cell clones, scientists engineered cells slated for elimination. They then isolated these cells along with their nearest neighbours through laser microdissection and examined the genes that differed significantly from control patches. Through RNA interference, they identified five proteins with previously unknown roles in epithelial homeostasis: Tau, a neuronal protein; Shifted, which adjusts morphogen gradients; Wnt oncogene analog 4; p-element induced wimpy testis, a gene that suppresses transposons; and CG5567, a phosphatase involved in glycerol biosynthesis.
Future research will delve into the specifics of how these proteins recognize and eliminate detrimental cells.
Written by urgent.news from bioRxiv's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
