title: Developmental expression of Drosophila Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome family proteins.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WASP) family proteins participate in many cellular processes involving rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton. To the date, four WASP subfamily members have been described in Drosophila: Wash, WASp, SCAR, and Whamy. Wash, WASp, and SCAR are essential during early Drosophila development where they function in orchestrating cytoplasmic events including membrane-cytoskeleton interactions. A mutant for Whamy has not yet been reported.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We generated monoclonal antibodies that are specific to Drosophila Wash, WASp, SCAR, and Whamy, and use these to describe their spatial and temporal localization patterns. Consistent with the importance of WASP family proteins in flies, we find that Wash, WASp, SCAR, and Whamy are dynamically expressed throughout oogenesis and embryogenesis. For example, we find that Wash accumulates at the oocyte cortex. WASp is highly expressed in the PNS, while SCAR is the most abundantly expressed in the CNS. Whamy exhibits an asymmetric subcellular localization that overlaps with mitochondria and is highly expressed in muscle.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All four WASP family members show specific expression patterns, some of which reflect their previously known roles and others revealing new potential functions. The monoclonal antibodies developed offer valuable new tools to investigate how WASP family proteins regulate actin cytoskeleton dynamics.
authors.affiliation: Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109-1024, USA.
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Mesa
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Abreu-Blanco
authors.forename: Alicia E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Rosales-Nieves
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Parkhurst
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D047108:Embryonic Development; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D009866:Oogenesis; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D014923:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism*; D051316:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; C449671:SCAR protein, Drosophila; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins; C573645:WASH protein, Drosophila; C477859:WASp protein, Drosophila; C573646:Whamy protein, Drosophila; D051316:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein