The Osiris family genes function as novel regulators of the tube maturation process in the Drosophila trachea.

Drosophila trachea is a premier model to study tube morphogenesis. After the formation of continuous tubes, tube maturation follows. Tracheal tube maturation starts with an apical secretion pulse that deposits extracellular matrix components to form a chitin-based apical luminal matrix (aECM).

Epigenetic Regulation by Polycomb Complexes from Drosophila to Human and Its Relation to Communicable Disease Pathogenesis.

Although all cells in the human body are made of the same DNA, these cells undergo differentiation and behave differently during development, through integration of external and internal stimuli via 'specific mechanisms.' Epigenetics is one such mechanism that comprises DNA/RNA, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs that regulate transcription without changing the genetic code. The discovery of the first Polycomb mutant phenotype in Drosophila started the study of epigenetics more than 80 years ago.

Trachea as a Novel Model of COPD.

COPD, a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Clinical studies and research in rodent models demonstrated that failure of repair mechanisms to cope with increased ROS and inflammation in the lung leads to COPD. Despite this progress, the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of COPD remain poorly understood, resulting in a lack of effective treatments.

Selenite Inhibits Notch Signaling in Cells and Mice.

Selenium is an essential micronutrient with a wide range of biological effects in mammals. The inorganic form of selenium, selenite, is supplemented to relieve individuals with selenium deficiency and to alleviate associated symptoms. Additionally, physiological and supranutritional selenite have shown selectively higher affinity and toxicity towards cancer cells, highlighting their potential to serve as chemotherapeutic agents or adjuvants.

The novel gene apnoia regulates Drosophila tracheal tube size.

Background: Distinct tube size is critical for the function of human tubular organs such as the lung, vascular system, and kidney. Aberrant tube sizes can lead to devastating human illnesses, including polycystic kidney disease. The Drosophila trachea provides a premier genetic system to investigate the fundamental mechanisms that regulate tube size.

regulates apical luminal matrix to control tube size in trachea.

The embryonic tracheal network is an excellent model to study tube size. The chitin-based apical luminal matrix and cell polarity are well known to regulate tube size in trachea. Defects in luminal matrix and cell polarity lead to tube overexpansion.

Tracheal expression of Osiris gene family in Drosophila.

The Drosophila trachea is a premier genetic system to investigate the fundamental mechanisms of tubular organ formation. Development of the trachea consists of the well understood early branch specification and migration processes, and the less clear later branch maturation process including the apical membrane expansion, cytoskeleton rearrangement, luminal matrix clearance, and air-filling. We identified seven members of the Osiris (Osi) gene family with obvious tracheal expression in Drosophila.