Affiliations: 1) Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY; 2) The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Keywords: r. cell-cell interactions; a. cytoskeleton
The ability of Notch signaling to drive the formation of a broad range of biological patterns relies, in part, on the activity of cellular protrusions that allow contact between cells at a distance. One example of this is the patterning of sensory bristles on the thorax of Drosophila melanogaster. In this tissue, thin, dynamic, actin-based, filopodia which extend from the basal surface of the patterning epithelia and are essential for long-range Notch signaling. We have identified Myosin XV as a regulator of the formation and maintenance of basal filopodia in the notum. Myosin XV has previously been shown to localize to, and play a role in the dynamics of, filopodia in Drosophila as well as in other cellular protrusions in mammals, including stereocilia. Using a combination of genetics, cell biology, and confocal imaging, we find that Myosin XV contributes to the density of sensory bristles through its role in regulating basal filopodia dynamics. Currently we are using a CRISPR-based strategy to generate a null mutation in the myosin XV gene. We observe that Notch signaling is affected by specific targeting of basal filopodia, through the use of a transcriptional reporter of Notch signaling. Together these results support a role for basal filopodia in lateral inhibition during bristle patterning.