The cell adhesion molecule Echinoid promotes tissue survival and separately restricts tissue overgrowth in imaginal discs.

The interactions that cells in imaginal discs have with their neighbors are known to regulate their ability to survive. In a screen of genes encoding cell surface proteins for gene knockdowns that affect the size or shape of mutant clones, we found that clones of cells with reduced levels of () are fewer, smaller, and can be eliminated during development. In contrast, discs composed mostly of mutant tissue are overgrown.

Rescue of prothrombin-deficiency by transgene expression in mice.

Prothrombin has diverse biological functions in addition to its well established role in blood coagulation. In order to study these functions in more detail mouse model systems are needed. Since deficiency of prothrombin in mice results in partial embryonic lethality and neonatal death, alternative approaches are required to study the biology of prothrombin in the adult mouse.