Investigating the role of Extracellular Matrix (ECM) remodeling during wing disc regeneration in Drosophila

Sul, Amanda

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/90255 Copy

Description

Title

Investigating the role of Extracellular Matrix (ECM) remodeling during wing disc regeneration in Drosophila

Author(s)

Sul, Amanda

Contributor(s)

Smith-Bolton, Rachel

Issue Date

2016

Keyword(s)

• Drosophila
• Regeneration
• Basement Membrane
• Extracellular Matrix
• Mmp

Abstract

Some animals are capable of regenerating parts of their body after damage, whereas other animals are only capable of wound healing and scarring. Tissue regeneration is the replacement of damaged tissue and restoration of morphology as well as functionality. Regeneration requires a complex interplay between extracellular matrix (ECM) and cells within a tissue. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are responsible for degrading the ECM and are highly expressed at wound sites. However, the exact role of the ECM and MMPs in the wound healing and regenerative process is not yet clear. I employed a non-surgical method of inducing tissue damage and regeneration in the wing imaginal disc of Drosophila, which is highly amenable to genetic manipulations. Using this system I tracked the expression of Viking (Vkg), the gene coding for ECM component Collagen IV, during different stages of regeneration after tissue damage. I observed disruptions in the basement membrane structure as assayed by the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) tagged reporter Vkg-GFP. I also observed changes in MMP protein expression levels during various stages of regeneration. I further investigated the effects of overexpressing and inhibiting MMP expression to understand the functional significance of MMP in the regenerating wing discs. I observed decreased wing regeneration with overexpression of MMP. I have also examined the role of Jun N terminal Kinase (JNK) signaling in ECM remodeling during regeneration.

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/90255

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2016 Amanda Sul

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