We plan to observe the specific forces being generated by cells in the gels, the effects of fibronectin concentration on cell behavior and further classify the actin organization of the cells inhabiting the matrix. Although alternative splicing is one of the major ways in which higher organisms control expression of their genes, current knowledge of the relevant mechanisms is rudimentary. Previous work in the lab has identified several genes whose products are required for inclusion of mI in Ubx mRNAs. This recruitment may be mediated by Sxl protein in Sxl RNA and by hrp48 protein in Ubx RNA, since these proteins have binding sites near the corresponding regulated 5' splice sites and are required for regulation in each case. I have not detected a dominant synthetic lethal interaction with other antimorphic, hypomorphic, or null alleles of snf .
Preliminary results confirm synergism in all pairwise combinations.