380A Poster - 04. Stem cells, regeneration and tissue injury
Thursday April 07, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Authors:
Si Cave; Robin Harris

Affiliation: Arizona State University

Keywords:
k. regeneration; aa. tissue growth

The mechanisms of tissue regeneration are not fully understood. Using the model of the wing imaginal disc, we have identified factors upregulated during regeneration through RNA-sequencing. Asperous (CG9572) is a novel and mostly uncharacterized protein that is strongly transcribed specifically during regeneration. The goal of this work is to characterize Asperous in the context of regeneration, using a three-pronged approach to understand 1) its protein structure, 2) its localization, and 3) its cellular function in both damaged and undamaged imaginal disc tissues.

To do this, we have utilized computational tools to predict the structure and found the presence of a WD40 domain, suggesting a role in coordinating multi-protein complex assemblies. We have also used genetic manipulations via our unique genetic ablation tool, DUAL Control, to knockdown Asperous and have found it is essential for regeneration. Finally, we are using fluorescent reporters of tagged Asperous proteins to understand its localization, which suggests it may be extracellular and contribute to differential growth in a compartment-specific manner. As Asperous has a uniquely regeneration-specific expression pattern and is associated with promoting regeneration in the wing disc, investigating the features of this novel protein will further our understanding of uncharacterized elements of a regeneration program.