caberg

What are the mechanisms and molecules that control development? Genetic and genomic studies reveal that developmental processes are similar in all animals. We are using Drosophila to investigate how flat epithelial sheets are patterned into distinct cell types and how these cell types change shape and rearrange to make a pair of simple tubes called dorsal appendages (Dorman et al. 2004; reviewed by Berg 2005). This process occurs in the follicle cell layer that surrounds the oocyte and is tied to establishing dorsal/ventral polarity in the embryo. In vertebrates, tube formation produces the heart, kidneys, lungs, gut, and neural tube; dorsal appendage formation resembles these more complex processes but is easier to study because it does not involve cell division or cell death. We also have sophisticated genetic tools for manipulating gene function, a culture system for imaging events live, and a battery of markers for following the fate and behavior of the cells.