Mitochondrial morphology dynamics and ROS regulate apical polarity and differentiation in Drosophila follicle cells.

Mitochondrial morphology dynamics regulate signaling pathways during epithelial cell formation and differentiation. The mitochondrial fission protein Drp1 affects the appropriate activation of EGFR and Notch signaling-driven differentiation of posterior follicle cells in Drosophila oogenesis. The mechanisms by which Drp1 regulates epithelial polarity during differentiation are not known.

Pseudocleavage furrows restrict plasma membrane-associated PH domain in syncytial Drosophila embryos.

Syncytial cells contain multiple nuclei and have local distribution and function of cellular components despite being synthesized in a common cytoplasm. The syncytial Drosophila blastoderm embryo shows reduced spread of organelle and plasma membrane-associated proteins between adjacent nucleo-cytoplasmic domains. Anchoring to the cytoarchitecture within a nucleo-cytoplasmic domain is likely to decrease the spread of molecules; however, its role in restricting this spread has not been assessed.

Mitochondria Lead the Way: Mitochondrial Dynamics and Function in Cellular Movements in Development and Disease.

The dynamics, distribution and activity of subcellular organelles are integral to regulating cell shape changes during various physiological processes such as epithelial cell formation, cell migration and morphogenesis. Mitochondria are famously known as the powerhouse of the cell and play an important role in buffering calcium, releasing reactive oxygen species and key metabolites for various activities in a eukaryotic cell. Mitochondrial dynamics and morphology changes regulate these functions and their regulation is, in turn, crucial for various morphogenetic processes.

Mitochondrial fusion regulates proliferation and differentiation in the type II neuroblast lineage in Drosophila.

Optimal mitochondrial function determined by mitochondrial dynamics, morphology and activity is coupled to stem cell differentiation and organism development. However, the mechanisms of interaction of signaling pathways with mitochondrial morphology and activity are not completely understood. We assessed the role of mitochondrial fusion and fission in the differentiation of neural stem cells called neuroblasts (NB) in the Drosophila brain.