GENETIC AND MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF PROFILIN FUNCTION DURING DROSOPHILA DEVELOPMENT ( CHICKADEE, NURSE CELLS).
Contributors: Yale University.
Published: 1993
Number of pages: 133
Subjects: Biology, Cell.; Biology, Genetics.
Description: The interactions between the nurse cells and the oocyte during Drosophila oogenesis are essential for embryonic development. The majority of the cytoplasmic components of the egg are synthesized in the nurse cells and transported in an actin-dependent manner into the oocyte late in oogenesis. chickadee female sterile mutations disrupt the formation of the proper actin structures in the nurse cells and result in a failure of cytoplasm transport. The chickadee gene encodes the actin binding protein profilin.

I have characterized the expression of profilin during development by generating monoclonal antibodies against the protein. Profilin is expressed ubiquitously, including in the nurse cells, and is enriched in cells undergoing migrations or in which rearrangements of the cytoskeleton are required.

Profilin has been studied extensively biochemically and various properties have been assigned to it. To study the function of profilin in vivo I have generated more severe mutations affecting the expression of profilin. I have found that chickadee is an essential gene since null mutations have an embryonic lethal phenotype. In addition, I have characterized viable alleles of chickadee that affect oogenesis, spermatogenesis, bristle formation and eye development. Through these studies, I have concluded that profilin is a multifunctional protein carrying out specific functions in various cell types.

In addition to studying the expression and functions of the chickadee gene and profilin, I carried out a mutagenesis screen for female sterile mutations affecting cytoplasm transport. The phenotypic characterization of several new mutations is presented. It appears that the class of genes which mutate to female sterility and are involved in cytoplasm transport is relatively small.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-12, Section: B, page: 6027.

Thesis (PH.D.)--YALE UNIVERSITY, 1993.

School code: 0265.