Project description:In Drosophila melanogaster larvae the ring gland is a control center that orchestrates major developmental transitions. It is a composite organ, consisting of the prothoracic gland, the corpus allatum and the corpora cardiaca, each of which synthesizes and secretes a different hormone. Until now, the ring gland’s broader developmental roles beyond endocrine secretion have not been explored. RNA sequencing and analysis of a new transcriptome resource from D. melanogaster wandering third instar larval ring glands has provided a fascinating insight into the diversity of developmental signalling in this organ. We have found strong enrichment of expression of two gene pathways not previously associated with the ring gland: immune response and fatty acid metabolism. We have also uncovered strong expression for many uncharacterized genes. Additionally, RNA interference against ring gland-enriched cytochrome p450s Cyp6u1 and Cyp6g2 produced a lethal ecdysone deficiency and a juvenile hormone deficiency respectively, flagging a critical role for these genes in hormone synthesis. This transcriptome provides a valuable new resource for investigation of roles played by the ring gland in governing insect development.
Project description:kdm5 is an essential gene in Drosophila that has critical developmental roles in the prothoracic gland cells of the larval ring gland. We performed a bulk transcriptome analysis of the larval ring gland in w[1118] (wild type) and kdm5[140] (null mutant) in order to identify genes in the prothoracic gland involved in the lethality of kdm5 null mutants. We found that the absence of kdm5 causes dysregulation of genes involved in various metabolic pathways. In particular, genes both bound by KDM5 and differentially expressed in this cell type are involved in regulation of mitochondrial biology and autophagy.
Project description:Monoubiquitinated histone H2A produced by the Sce/Ring subunit of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1) was mapped genome-wide in Drosophila ML-DmBG3 cells using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by hybridization to Affymetrix tiling arrays.
