A phylogenetic profiling approach identifies novel ciliogenesis genes in Drosophila and C. elegans.

Cilia are cellular projections that perform sensory and motile functions in eukaryotic cells. A defining feature of cilia is that they are evolutionarily ancient, yet not universally conserved. In this study, we have used the resulting presence and absence pattern in the genomes of diverse eukaryotes to identify a set of 386 human genes associated with cilium assembly or motility.

Multifunctional Wing Motor Control of Song and Flight.

Multifunctional motor systems produce distinct output patterns that are dependent on behavioral context, posing a challenge to underlying neuronal control. Flies use their wings for flight and the production of a patterned acoustic signal, the male courtship song, employing in both cases a small set of wing muscles and corresponding motor neurons. We took first steps toward elucidating the neuronal control mechanisms of this multifunctional motor system by live imaging of muscle ensemble activity patterns during song and flight, and we established the functional role of a comprehensive set of wing muscle motor neurons by silencing experiments.

Atg17/FIP200 localizes to perilysosomal Ref(2)P aggregates and promotes autophagy by activation of Atg1 in Drosophila.

Phagophore-derived autophagosomes deliver cytoplasmic material to lysosomes for degradation and reuse. Autophagy mediated by the incompletely characterized actions of Atg proteins is involved in numerous physiological and pathological settings including stress resistance, immunity, aging, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Here we characterized Atg17/FIP200, the Drosophila ortholog of mammalian RB1CC1/FIP200, a proposed functional equivalent of yeast Atg17.

Advantages and limitations of different p62-based assays for estimating autophagic activity in Drosophila.

Levels of the selective autophagy substrate p62 have been established in recent years as a specific readout for basal autophagic activity. Here we compared different experimental approaches for using this assay in Drosophila larvae. Similar to the more commonly used western blots, quantifying p62 dots in immunostained fat body cells of L3 stage larvae detected a strong accumulation of endogenous p62 aggregates in null mutants for Atg genes and S6K.

Loss of the starvation-induced gene Rack1 leads to glycogen deficiency and impaired autophagic responses in Drosophila.

Autophagy delivers cytoplasmic material for lysosomal degradation in eukaryotic cells. Starvation induces high levels of autophagy to promote survival in the lack of nutrients. We compared genome-wide transcriptional profiles of fed and starved control, autophagy-deficient Atg7 and Atg1 null mutant Drosophila larvae to search for novel regulators of autophagy.

Atg7-dependent autophagy promotes neuronal health, stress tolerance, and longevity but is dispensable for metamorphosis in Drosophila.

Autophagy, a cellular process of cytoplasmic degradation and recycling, is induced in Drosophila larval tissues during metamorphosis, potentially contributing to their destruction or reorganization. Unexpectedly, we find that flies lacking the core autophagy regulator Atg7 are viable, despite severe defects in autophagy. Although metamorphic cell death is perturbed in Atg7 mutants, the larval-adult midgut transition proceeds normally, with extended pupal development compensating for reduced autophagy.