title: Identification of Novel Regulators of the JAK/STAT Signaling Pathway that Control Border Cell Migration in the Drosophila Ovary.
abstract: The Janus Kinase/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway is an essential regulator of cell migration both in mammals and fruit flies. Cell migration is required for normal embryonic development and immune response but can also lead to detrimental outcomes, such as tumor metastasis. A cluster of cells termed "border cells" in the Drosophila ovary provides an excellent example of a collective cell migration, in which two different cell types coordinate their movements. Border cells arise within the follicular epithelium and are required to invade the neighboring cells and migrate to the oocyte to contribute to a fertilizable egg. Multiple components of the STAT signaling pathway are required during border cell specification and migration; however, the functions and identities of other potential regulators of the pathway during these processes are not yet known. To find new components of the pathway that govern cell invasiveness, we knocked down 48 predicted STAT modulators using RNAi expression in follicle cells, and assayed defective cell movement. We have shown that seven of these regulators are involved in either border cell specification or migration. Examination of the epistatic relationship between candidate genes and Stat92E reveals that the products of two genes, Protein tyrosine phosphatase 61F (Ptp61F) and brahma (brm), interact with Stat92E during both border cell specification and migration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Maryland 21250.
authors.forename: Afsoon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saadin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Maryland 21250 starz@umbc.edu.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0855-0715
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Starz-Gaiano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D004843:Epistasis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D054558:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Non-Receptor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D050791:STAT Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D050791:STAT Transcription Factors; C105675:Stat92E protein, Drosophila; D015534:Trans-Activators; C086469:brm protein, Drosophila; D054558:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Non-Receptor; C107962:Ptp61F protein, Drosophila
keywords: Drosophila; JAK/STAT regulation; cell migration