Characterization of split ends function during Drosophila eye development

Conserved signal transduction pathways coordinate all aspects of metazoan development, including cell fate specification, differentiation, and growth. Rather than functioning as completely independent modules, signaling pathways interface to create a web of specific interactions that a cell integrates in a spatial and temporal manner. The Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and Notch pathways are evolutionarily conserved signal transduction mechanisms that interact intimately to regulate a broad spectrum of developmental processes in metazoa. The molecular bases underlying cross-talk and signal integration between these two pathways are just beginning to be elucidated. In this thesis, we have focused on the role of Split ends (Spen), the founding member of a family of transcriptional co-repressors, as a node of cross-talk between the EGFR and Notch signaling pathways during Drosophila eye development. At the morphogenetic furrow (MF), which marks the wave of differentiation that passes through the imaginal disc eye primordium, Notch signaling is required for establishing and refining the expression of proneural Atonal (Ato). Ato promotes the EGFR pathway's reiterative signaling for progressive and sequential recruitment of cells within each ommatidial facet of the eye.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Biology.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2007

Author dc:creator

• Doroquez, David Bagon

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Ilaria Rebay.

• Biology.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/38887

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/38887