circRNA Biogenesis Competes with Pre-mRNA Splicing

Slit Proteins Bind Robo Receptors and Have an Evolutionarily Conserved Role in Repulsive Axon Guidance

The direct mechanism by which the serine/threonine kinase Akt (also known as protein kinase B (PKB)) regulates cell growth is unknown. Here, we report that Drosophila melanogaster Akt/PKB stimulates growth by phosphorylating the tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (Tsc2) tumour suppressor and inhibiting formation of a Tsc1-Tsc2 complex. We show that Akt/PKB directly phosphorylates Drosophila Tsc2 in vitro at the conserved residues, Ser 924 and Thr 1518. Mutation of these sites renders Tsc2 insensitive to Akt/PKB signalling, increasing the stability of the Tsc1-Tsc2 complex within the cell. Stimulating Akt/PKB signalling in vivo markedly increases cell growth/size, disrupts the Tsc1-Tsc2 complex and disturbs the distinct subcellular localization of Tsc1 and Tsc2. Furthermore, all Akt/PKB growth signals are blocked by expression of a Tsc2 mutant lacking Akt phosphorylation sites. Thus, Tsc2 seems to be the critical target of Akt in mediating growth signals for the insulin signalling pathway.

Akt regulates growth by directly phosphorylating Tsc2.

The drosophila EcR gene encodes an ecdysone receptor, a new member of the steroid receptor superfamily

Specific EGF repeats of Notch mediate interactions with Delta and serrate: Implications for notch as a multifunctional receptor

The promoter from the metallothionein gene may be a useful conditional promoter for the construction of chimeric genes to be expressed in Drosophila cells in culture. To explore this possibility the responses of the endogenous metallothionein gene and an in vitro constructed chimeric gene containing the metallothionein promoter were examined. Copper and cadmium, when added to the growth medium of Drosophila Schneider's line 2 cells, can produce a 30-100 fold induction of metallothionein mRNA levels. The level of induction depends on the amount of copper or cadmium added to the medium and these mRNA levels remain high for at least four days. Copper is less toxic than cadmium and does not induce a typical heat-shock response in the cells. Finally, a chimeric gene containing the metallothionein promoter shows a similar induction when transformed into the cells.

/pdf/characterization-and-use-of-the-drosophila-metallothionein-28wbb78x69.pdf

Characterization and use of the Drosophila metallothionein promoter in cultured Drosophila melanogaster cells.

Genes producing antisense RNA are becoming important tools for the selective inhibition of gene expression. Experiments in different biological systems, targeting different mRNAs have yielded diverse results with respect to the success of the technique and its mechanism of action. We have examined the potential of three antisense genes, whose transcription is driven by a Drosophila metallothionein promoter, to inhibit the expression of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) or a microtubule associated protein (205K MAP) in cultured Drosophila cells. Expression of ADH was significantly reduced upon induction of the anti-ADH genes. The ADH mRNA does not appear to be destabilized by the presence of antisense RNA but rather exists at similar levels in hybrid form. Hybrids are detected with both spliced and unspliced ADH RNA. In contrast to these results, antisense genes producing antisense RNA in great excess to 205K MAP mRNA, which is itself far less abundant than the ADH mRNA, failed to show any inhibition of 205K MAP expression.

/pdf/the-conditional-inhibition-of-gene-expression-in-cultured-4vo6ib9q38.pdf

Thomas A. Bunch

Papers

Characterization and use of the Drosophila metallothionein promoter in cultured Drosophila melanogaster cells.

The conditional inhibition of gene expression in cultured Drosophila cells by antisense RNA.