JAK-STAT in heterochromatin and genome stability.

The canonical JAK-STAT signaling pathway transmits signals from the cell membrane to the nucleus, to regulate transcription of particular genes involved in development and many other physiological processes. It has been shown in Drosophila that JAK and STAT also function in a non-canonical mode, to regulate heterochromatin. This review discusses the non-canonical functioning of JAK and STAT, and its effects on biological processes.

The role of receptor tyrosine kinases in primordial germ cell migration.

During embryonic development in Drosophila, rodents, and other organisms, primordial germ cells (PGCs) migrate from their points of origin to the nascent gonads, where they give rise to germ line stem cells. Receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) activity is required for normal migration of primordial germ cells in both Drosophila and rodents. In this chapter, we discuss in vivo as well as in vitro methods which have been used to elucidate the role of the RTK Torso in Drosophila germ cell migration.

Evidence for transgenerational transmission of epigenetic tumor susceptibility in Drosophila.

Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance results from incomplete erasure of parental epigenetic marks during epigenetic reprogramming at fertilization. The significance of this phenomenon, and the mechanism by which it occurs, remains obscure. Here, we show that genetic mutations in Drosophila may cause epigenetic alterations that, when inherited, influence tumor susceptibility of the offspring.