Annual <i>Drosophila</i> Research Conference, 2008

The Drosophila Research Conference, a yearly meeting organized by the Genetics Society of America (GSA), serves as a platform to present the latest developments in research using the Drosophila melanogaster model. The meeting provides fruit fly researchers an opportunity for interaction and exchange of ideas pertaining to their research. The 49th Annual Drosophila Research Conference took place in San Diego, California, one of the best tourist destinations famous for its great weather and miles of sandy beaches. The meeting was organized by Nanci Bonini (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia), Susan Celnikar (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California), Brian Oliver (NIDDK, NIH, HHS, Bethesda, MD), and John Tamkun (University of California, Santa Cruz). This fly meeting was attended by nearly 1,500 Drosophila researchers from all over the world, who were treated to amazing presentations in 18 platform sessions encompassing 136 talks, 13 workshops, and around 1,000 posters on a broad spectrum of biomedical topics. The meeting opened with a welcome and opening remark from Susan Celnikar. It was followed by Larry Sandler Memorial Lecture by Adam Friedman from Norbert Perrimon's group, HHMI at Harvard Medical School. The president of Drosophila board Utpal Bannerjee (University of California, Los Angeles) gave a memorial tribute to his mentor Seymour Benzer who died at the age of 86 on Nov. 30, 2007. Seymour, a highly accomplished geneticist and neurobiologist, made history by discovering that genes were structured like words. He went on to do pioneering work on the ties between genes and behavior, memory, and longevity. The historical keynote address was delivered by Antonio Garcia-Bellido, a scientist who specializes in genetic regulation of development and differentiation. A student of the noted British entomologist Sir Vincent Wigglesworth, Garcia-Bellido started his studies of cell heredity and determination as a postdoctoral fellow with Ernest Hadorn at the University of Zurich, and subsequently at Cal Tech with future Nobel Laureate Ed Lewis (1996). While at Hadorn's lab, Garcia-Bellido mastered the method of culturing imaginal disc cells of Drosophila larvae in the abdomen of sterile adult females and exploited its unique advantages for studying the properties of imaginal disc cells of mutants of the bithorax complex (BX-C). Garcia-Bellido's talk covered major landmarks of his journey through the field of Drosophila genetics and development. The first plenary session opened with the presentation of the 2008 Image Award. The Image Award is an initiative to recognize the most striking image that clearly conveys an important biological result. Eric Lecuyer (University of Toronto, Canada) received the 2008 Image Award for the image “Global Analysis of mRNA localization.” Lecuyer et al. conducted a high-resolution FISH analysis of approximately 25% of mRNAs encoded in the Drosophila genome to assess the overall variety and prevalence of mRNA localization events on a genomic level. They found that the majority of sampled mRNAs (71%) are subcellularly localized and that transcripts with similar localization patterns are often functionally related. The two runners up were S. Silver for the image “A microRNA that can activate Wingless signaling,” and G.S. Jefferis for the image “Mapping Pheromone and Fruit Odor Representations.” Interestingly, science and art came together at the San Diego meeting when another image award went to Joanne Topol, a scientist turned artist, who designed the cover of the 2008 abstract book (Fig. 1). Cover page of the abstract book of 49th Annual Drosophila Research Conference held at San Diego from April 2–6, 2008. Courtesy: Genetics Society of America (GSA). The first talk of this session was from David Bilder (University of California, Berkeley) entitled “Trafficking and polarity in the control of Drosophila growth”. Using the recently identified neoplastic tumor suppressor gene avalanche (avl) as an example, Bilder presented evidence suggesting that normal epithelial apical–basal polarity of cells and protein trafficking are both required for normal growth control. They observed that Crumbs (Crb) and Notch (N) were up-regulated in cells mutant for avl, suggesting that either avl mutant cells are defective in polarity, or are unable to degrade these proteins causing their accumulation. Further experiments revealed that proper polarity is required for proliferation control. Because N signaling targets are unaffected in avl mutant cells, they turned their attention to N trafficking and found that both exocytosis and endocytosis are important for cell polarity and for cells to exit the cell cycle. These findings open up new and exciting avenues for studying the regulation of growth and polarity in fruit flies. The next talk entitled “Ig receptor diversity in insect immunity and neuronal wiring” was from Dietmar Schmucker (Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA). Dietmar identified a Drosophila protein (Dscam), a member of the immunoglobulin super family that is highly related to the human protein Down Syndrome Cell Adhesion Molecule (DSCAM) that can form 38,000-protein isoforms through alternative splicing and is specifically expressed on the surface of growing nerves. The extraordinary molecular diversity of the Dscam receptor, unlike other receptors expressed in the nervous system, is reminiscent of immunoglobulin receptors in the immune system. In mammals, receptor functions and signal transduction mechanisms are remarkably similar between the nervous system and the immune system. Schumucker found that the hypervariable neuronal receptor Dscam is also expressed in the immune system of flies. In fact, Drosophila immune-competent cells have the potential to express more than 18,000 isoforms of the Dscam receptor. These findings suggest an unsuspected molecular complexity of the innate immune system of insects. Artyom Kopp from the University of California, Davis talked about the cross regulatory interactions between Hox and sex determination genes and its implications for development and evolution. Steve Cohen (Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore) talked on the different strategies by which “microRNA functions” are carried out. Cohen presented evidence that microRNAs function to “fine tune” the activity of target genes, for example, mir-8 regulates the levels and activity of its target gene atrophin. Loss of mir-8 results in elevated Atrophin activity causing apoptosis in the brain. However, reducing levels of Atrophin below the level generated by mir-8 regulation causes additional defects suggesting that mir-8 tunes the levels of Atrophin and does not completely eliminate it for its normal function. In addition, miRNAs can play essential roles by limiting errors and setting thresholds in the contexts of positive autoregulatory systems. MicroRNAs may also function by a temporal rather than spatial mechanism to clear mRNAs from the cell. Cohen summarized the computational and experimental approaches designed by his group aimed at identifying all microRNAs from the fly genome. Michael Ashburner (Cambridge University, United Kingdom) received the Thomas Hunt Morgan Medal for outstanding contributions to the field of genetics from GSA president Utpal Bannerjee at a champagne reception. Due to the broad spectrum of topics and information presented in the meeting, we will focus on some of the common themes/topics in this commentary. During early eye development, generation of dorsal (D) and ventral (V) compartments is the first lineage restriction event. The border between the dorsal and ventral compartments is known as the equator and is the site of activation of N signaling that regulates cell proliferation and differentiation of the developing eye. The members of N signaling pathway, Lobe (L) and Serrate (Ser) play an important role in ventral eye growth and development. Amit Singh (University of Dayton, Dayton, OH) and Kwang Choi (Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX) identified homothorax (hth), a Meis class gene which is a negative regulator of eye development, as a strong enhancer of the L mutant phenotype in a genetic modifier screen. Loss-of-function of hth, results in ectopic ventral eye enlargements, which is complementary to the L or Ser mutant phenotype of loss-of-ventral-eye. Ectopic induction of Hth was seen in loss-of-function clones of L or Ser in the ventral eye. They presented evidence that L and to other to the ventral of the eye. The complex imaginal disc of Drosophila that from the cell in the to the adult eye and the important is and when the of of disc to eye and development. During and development, the of this disc to the the to the eye. group, found that the of as in the eye field and in the field other for the restriction of eye and They an that interaction between the eye gene and gene may required to eye and The developing eye is an system for the molecular between cell proliferation and and their role in the and of an this and on cell proliferation is and may result. During early development cell proliferation is the of cells to the group, University, that when eye gene function is from eye it results in a or eye as was However, when gene function is in a of cells using a genetic is a between mutant and normal cells in the early eye disc which is for the of cell proliferation and the of the eye. found that the N this The differentiation of cell is by the which a The of is the of like and clear cell group, Harvard Medical found that of either Drosophila or or and eye development by two and or can proliferation proliferation cells often the cell polarity gene disc and of the imaginal disc group, Bethesda, the of by to potential targets for the a of the protein in the family of development results in ventral This is an that researchers in targets of their gene of are signaling in eye development. The pathway, a signaling from to is one of the important in eye development and In the to activate the It is expressed at the of the in the eye is important for and for control of cell proliferation in the eye However, is in the developing eye is loss-of-function and approaches to that and signaling with the N signaling to activate and Wingless signaling regulates They also identified potential of in the enhancer of The gene is in genes, and with are present of as have as of The two and and in or group, University of identified additional in the that the and They that the genes are to on the and with it is that may from in genes, the that is an The regulates growth by proliferation and Using and group, of Medicine, presented that cells Drosophila are most by cell suggesting the that signaling a to et al. function analysis of the They that the both the and a more than and is a the and of have to for activation suggesting that may between and During normal eye development in gene function to the The eye or determination of proteins that are a regulatory clones of and to the regulatory the The that the protein complex found that this of the and in the first of developing However, in more of the both and to the complex can between activation and their localization the developing eye the to and a and is important for Drosophila eye development. in the and to the eye of a of in is from on the to its to the in the regulation of eye development. They identified two and which have different enhancer They that the gene is by these to and development the first and and eye development the N signaling regulates the through the In with the important function of et al. group and group, presented that a is a negative regulator of eye development as mutants have Ectopic of cell and differentiation. they found that to eye During normal eye development in gene function to the group, College of Medicine, Houston, TX) presented studies on and gene They that a role with the between another gene and two that are in eye development. Using a of analysis and et al. and College of Medicine, Houston, TX) have identified as a target of development in other known genes, is expressed and to the in eye imaginal of is to ectopic eye The Drosophila eye is of approximately cells and two cells and Drosophila are by activation of both N signaling and receptor signaling In of cells to the cells the cell group, identified the which an protein that activity by with is an of N and cell development. The gene is also required for other of differentiation like the differentiation of cells by ectopic N activity and development of presented the of the regulation of early in Drosophila eye. major proteins in the of most cells, play a role in are in and (Baylor University, TX) and Kwang Choi (Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX) that is not essential for differentiation in the eye imaginal However, all are required for localization of apical–basal polarity proteins development suggesting a to in the and not differentiation. In with this University, and Utpal Bannerjee (University of California, Los Angeles) the role of protein in eye development. While they found that eye development is normal in the development defects in cells, and is the it is clear that roles in the eye. group, Research OH) presented evidence that a that functions as a molecular for cell proliferation and differentiation system, cell of cell development that a Drosophila to the an role to by both and differentiation. recently to function as a tumor is a may important in biological group that a tumor and a growth control the of the David group, University, the complex through a signaling or by signaling The protein can of in its tumor suppressor function. They found that is required for and members of growth control are not express receptors to by one receptor from proteins in the of gene They found that the signal does not in the rather to in the genetic have the for of of genetic in we have to present some of the different The gene in Drosophila of and the protein is a to other genes in eye development. followed a genetic to for new of these genes the developing eye to a in development, of all of these genes the of is to eye in Drosophila eye development is by control gene which is both essential and to form the eye. and conducted a to targets of using gene in both and loss-of-function genetic computational approaches to a of potential protein and genome experiments using and to in the fly genome. They have identified genes with genes that with other genetic as and In the Drosophila in a The mechanism is by the N and The different are by and The and in the of the which is by the a all known to the regulatory mechanisms the determination and of a protein in Drosophila is required for the proper of the cell in the developing (University of the Sciences in identified new genes with function and in development in a for of a loss-of-function eye phenotype in differentiation by the signaling by and group, University Medical presented the results of a genetic to on the that the normal of differentiation. They with that clones of cells from as the cells to to eye They in members of the growth receptor and as as known and group, University of presented a modifier to that with the Drosophila The in Drosophila complex similar to as eye defects and a et al. a phenotype seen in and mutants as a for modifier and found of the complex that to the and signaling as as and genes in This session covered topics from immune of tumor cells, and to cell by and the mechanisms of cell in group, University of Medicine, presented evidence that Drosophila imaginal have on the surface of the disc and of in the of cell by of the gene in the tumor growth that tumor the et al. imaginal and the a similar in both to the proliferation was not In addition, presented evidence suggesting that innate immune may the of and group, University of molecular and strategies to which protein and the protein are essential to recognize the positive the that and to from all of positive and may receptors for other more complex interactions may for do recognize is the innate immune is in activation of in a similar in the activation of the Drosophila immune of the in and found that it Drosophila by of the receptor. with not and that receptor may a strong innate immune and also on the mechanisms of cell University of Medical School, and of presented by play a role in of cells growth cell However, mutants to degrade and for both and cell Analysis of growth in mutants that they are defective at and the growth is and to defects in localization of These findings that signaling may to cell growth and regulation of cell in to cell and cell In cells are of proliferation of cells to In the Drosophila imaginal it that cells proliferation through of the and This is control of the not group, University of Houston, TX) in an different of proliferation the potential of the an on the to in some essential apoptosis regulatory They identified members of the signaling which are known to in cell and some new activation nearly with A of which that may also in a variety of or of talked about regulation of activation Drosophila that differentiation Drosophila their and in a He identified a new complex which is required for activation differentiation of they identified a of was also in to elevated levels of and defects differentiation. from the David Bilder group on the findings from the genetic screen. and new In they found that protein trafficking at and of the new the which is of the Drosophila to and of or can the neoplastic defects of polarity Using in and they to the of protein and their for N Further studies will on the role of trafficking in the regulation of signaling polarity and growth control. Research talked about the mechanisms the of Drosophila activity is by at the Using and at on the and analysis of this protein revealed isoforms of which is the more They found that is at in the and the is on the of development. This work the complex regulation of and the mechanisms of group, presented of cell Using from developing that expressed in the These were using the and which of and of the in and analysis of from This that the of cells is highly and These approaches that of with analysis can on the mechanisms of and other contexts cell University, talked about the role of signaling in the defects by the of and tumor suppressor Loss of causes by which more with development. these to of the mutant from the normal found that activity the of does not the mutant that activity may which may the molecular mechanism of mutant presentations group, University of and University, on the role of and in cell cell and development of using of and the signaling interactions through the is in the regulation of cell and cell in by and levels and The session opened with a presentation on the regulation of by a in the Drosophila protein Thomas group, University, of the does not the protein levels or its spatial to a in as by a or In this are first to females that express to and are to females either or for an or to their of the The mutants a in strong in this was to defects at the and found that mutants and They that the and behavior, and may in human gene causes a by in of the brain. for the first in the Using a genetic (University of a in the gene the in the Using this as a and the in by or mutants to their mutants apoptosis in the and in adult flies. This fly and to a analysis of the of the on the of fly this is also required for and of in from the of are to in the of in group, University of California, San Diego, presented an of Drosophila genetics and in the of of or are important for and The to surface receptors on cells and endocytosis of and which and and are not known to of and by of their known and the of Drosophila genetics and to that and as known from studies in human in addition, and also additional to their on other signaling Analysis of these that and N targets and N These from studies in are to the of in N signaling in cells is known to growth and N signaling in human and that of N signaling may the by of of group, for Medical presented findings on the by in a gene that to their experimental in which an is through on a platform and is can their the and their to do to of mutants with an the first in the of and mutant are have defects in and In addition, and defects in and are a for studying as also and of and negative regulation protein this In addition, of can and may the of signaling in and that defective in mutants may to signaling and A fruit fly to in by apoptosis by the protein was the of group, University, of Medicine, the of apoptosis and mutants from a modifier which were identified as mutants in signaling and Analysis of the regulation of cell revealed that of or the can the cell of the cell the cell phenotype was not completely suggesting that other mechanisms may also in the This is a new to apoptosis that to of the defects related is by in of which is expressed and are to in the Using group, Harvard Medical School, the causes of this to gene or is expressed in the of the and in the and at the In addition, genetic of which receptor of signaling mutants defects in is not expressed in the Loss of defects in other a between signaling and function. This may to a of the defects in function that to in the protein and the of the group (University of California, Los Angeles) identified that Drosophila to Drosophila by of its and that of function that from of function development. as a regulator of and and an important role in A splicing of was to with an for studies suggest the that of a human can of other of human were presented in this in this field that the Genetics Society of America recently started a new meeting to Drosophila have in this is an of genetic and molecular for Drosophila is to a with of Drosophila using a or more and or in their genetic research on all from the family and can of the of of the The organized the fly meeting to of this to the members of fly researchers were to for from the Drosophila at is an of and protein for and by a of and in the at University, focus is genomic and for Drosophila and other insects. was the fly The GSA to the contributions of the and the postdoctoral to the the first place award for a student entitled and cell polarity and early and of two important in a essential for the proper of compartments and their protein group, University, OH) received the for his entitled is required for of a protein that is the of cell in the is also required for cell development, its role They a in which at two different events are required for cell in the that is control. group, College of Medicine, Houston, TX) received for studies on of a gene and in Drosophila In a using Drosophila they identified a gene important for suggest that may play a role in to In the postdoctoral Research received first for studies on the of on The place award went to John group, University of California, Los Angeles) for his on The Research for the development of a gene analysis of lineage in of their using and proteins provides and all for the gene of received for entitled is for the of Drosophila generated the to mRNA levels in of cells to the in role of the protein Drosophila development. found that the in the the for the of The meeting was a great by of a platform for in research to the spectrum of the Drosophila model. The the fly and the Genetics Society of America the for the of the This meeting the that genetics for and human is that the of the Drosophila will to of of normal and more of we to the Annual Drosophila meeting at on It will a major in the history of the Drosophila as it will the Annual to work we not to members of the fly for their and for on the is by a University is by a University is by up from University of Dayton, from Research and University of research

Récupéré en direct depuis OpenAlex et désinversé. Les résumés ne sont pas conservés dans cette base de données : les index inversés représentent 8,6 Go des 9,3 Go de texte de la base, et le serveur dispose de 13 Go libres.