The Drosophila Hippo pathway transcription factor Scalloped and its co-factors alter each other's chromatin binding dynamics and transcription in vivo.

The Hippo pathway is an important regulator of organ growth and cell fate. The major mechanism by which Hippo is known to control transcription is by dictating the nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling rate of Yorkie, a transcription co-activator, which promotes transcription with the DNA binding protein Scalloped. The nuclear biophysical behavior of Yorkie and Scalloped, and whether this is regulated by the Hippo pathway, remains unexplored.

Basal spot junctions of Drosophila epithelial tissues respond to morphogenetic forces and regulate Hippo signaling.

Organ size is controlled by numerous factors including mechanical forces, which are mediated in part by the Hippo pathway. In growing Drosophila epithelial tissues, cytoskeletal tension influences Hippo signaling by modulating the localization of key pathway proteins to different apical domains. Here, we discovered a Hippo signaling hub at basal spot junctions, which form at the basal-most point of the lateral membranes and resemble adherens junctions in protein composition.

The Hippo pathway uses different machinery to control cell fate and organ size.

The Hippo pathway is a conserved signaling network that regulates organ growth and cell fate. One such cell fate decision is that of R8 photoreceptor cells in the eye, where Hippo specifies whether cells sense blue or green light. We show that only a subset of proteins that control organ growth via the Hippo pathway also regulate R8 cell fate choice, including the STRIPAK complex, Tao, Pez, and 14-3-3 proteins.

Sex Peptide controls the assembly of lipid microcarriers in seminal fluid.

Seminal fluid plays an essential role in promoting male reproductive success and modulating female physiology and behavior. In the fruit fly, , Sex Peptide (SP) is the best-characterized protein mediator of these effects. It is secreted from the paired male accessory glands (AGs), which, like the mammalian prostate and seminal vesicles, generate most of the seminal fluid contents.

Glutamine deprivation alters the origin and function of cancer cell exosomes.

Exosomes are secreted extracellular vesicles carrying diverse molecular cargos, which can modulate recipient cell behaviour. They are thought to derive from intraluminal vesicles formed in late endosomal multivesicular bodies (MVBs). An alternate exosome formation mechanism, which is conserved from fly to human, is described here, with exosomes carrying unique cargos, including the GTPase Rab11, generated in Rab11-positive recycling endosomal MVBs.

The regulation of Yorkie, YAP and TAZ: new insights into the Hippo pathway.

The Hippo pathway is a highly conserved signalling pathway that regulates multiple biological processes, including organ size control and cell fate. Since its discovery, genetic and biochemical studies have elucidated several key signalling steps important for pathway activation and deactivation. In recent years, technical advances in microscopy and genome modification have allowed new insights into Hippo signalling to be revealed.

The dPix-Git complex is essential to coordinate epithelial morphogenesis and regulate myosin during Drosophila egg chamber development.

How biochemical and mechanical information are integrated during tissue development is a central question in morphogenesis. In many biological systems, the PIX-GIT complex localises to focal adhesions and integrates both physical and chemical information. We used Drosophila melanogaster egg chamber formation to study the function of PIX and GIT orthologues (dPix and Git, respectively), and discovered a central role for this complex in controlling myosin activity and epithelial monolayering.

Rab-mediated trafficking in the secondary cells of Drosophila male accessory glands and its role in fecundity.

The male seminal fluid contains factors that affect female post-mating behavior and physiology. In Drosophila, most of these factors are secreted by the two epithelial cell types that make up the male accessory gland: the main and secondary cells. Although secondary cells represent only ~4% of the cells of the accessory gland, their contribution to the male seminal fluid is essential for sustaining the female post-mating response.

Regulation of Dense-Core Granule Replenishment by Autocrine BMP Signalling in Drosophila Secondary Cells.

Regulated secretion by glands and neurons involves release of signalling molecules and enzymes selectively concentrated in dense-core granules (DCGs). Although we understand how many secretagogues stimulate DCG release, how DCG biogenesis is then accelerated to replenish the DCG pool remains poorly characterised. Here we demonstrate that each prostate-like secondary cell (SC) in the paired adult Drosophila melanogaster male accessory glands contains approximately ten large DCGs, which are loaded with the Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) ligand Decapentaplegic (Dpp).

The emergency department experience with prehospital ketamine: a case series of 13 patients.

Background: There are no published reports examining the effects that ketamine administered prior to hospital arrival has on patients after their transfer to the emergency department (ED).

Objective: In order to better understand the risk-benefit ratio for the prehospital use of ketamine, we examined the ED courses of 13 patients to whom emergency medical services (EMS) had administered ketamine for chemical restraint.

Methods: This project was undertaken as part of our EMS system's continuous quality improvement (CQI) process.