Visualizing Low-Abundance Proteins and Post-Translational Modifications in Living Drosophila Embryos via Fluorescent Antibody Injection.

Visualization of proteins in living cells using GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein) and other fluorescent tags has greatly improved understanding of protein localization, dynamics, and function. Compared to immunofluorescence, live imaging more accurately reflects protein localization without potential artifacts arising from tissue fixation. Importantly, live imaging enables quantitative and temporal characterization of protein levels and localization, crucial for understanding dynamic biological processes such as cell movement or division.

Coordination of tumor growth and host wasting by tumor-derived Upd3.

yki-induced gut tumors in Drosophila are associated with host wasting, including muscle dysfunction, lipid loss, and hyperglycemia, a condition reminiscent of human cancer cachexia. We previously used this model to identify tumor-derived ligands that contribute to host wasting. To identify additional molecular networks involved in host-tumor interactions, we develop PathON, a web-based tool analyzing the major signaling pathways in Drosophila, and uncover the Upd3/Jak/Stat axis as an important modulator.

Fat body Ire1 regulates lipid homeostasis through the Xbp1s-FoxO axis in .

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident transmembrane protein kinase/RNase Ire1 is a conserved sensor of the cellular unfolded protein response and has been implicated in lipid homeostasis, including lipid synthesis and transport, across species. Here we report a novel catabolic role of Ire1 in regulating lipid mobilization in . We found that Ire1 is activated by nutrient deprivation, and, importantly, fat body-specific deficiency leads to increased lipid mobilization and sensitizes flies to starvation, whereas fat body Ire1 overexpression results in the opposite phenotypes.

Physiological and Pathological Regulation of Peripheral Metabolism by Gut-Peptide Hormones in .

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract in both vertebrates and invertebrates is now recognized as a major source of signals modulating, gut-peptide hormones, the metabolic activities of peripheral organs, and carbo-lipid balance. Key advances in the understanding of metabolic functions of gut-peptide hormones and their mediated interorgan communication have been made using as a model organism, given its powerful genetic tools and conserved metabolic regulation. Here, we summarize recent studies exploring peptide hormones that are involved in the communication between the midgut and other peripheral organs/tissues during feeding conditions.