Role of Unpaired3 in Janus kinase signaling

从单细胞受精卵发育成多细胞动物是一个复杂的过程，需要大量细胞之间进行广泛的交流。这项研究的长期目标是更好地理解细胞信号是如何用于指导塑造多细胞生物的活动的。本项目采用的方法是研究一种进化上保守的信号级联，即Janus激酶（JAK）信号通路，调节果蝇（Drosophila melanogaster）发育的机制，作为包括人类在内的其他动物发育细胞信号传导的模型。果蝇中JAK信号的研究特别有吸引力，因为它适合遗传和发育操作，因为只有三个Unpaired （Upd）家族蛋白被认为是JAK途径的信号。以前的研究已经检测了Upd和Upd2的发育功能。目前的项目将使用遗传，发育和生化方法来确定Upd3在发育和JAK信号传导中的功能，以及确定Unpaired家族蛋白在发育过程中共同调节JAK信号传导的机制。预计该系统揭示的机制将适用于在其他动物中发现的细胞信号蛋白的多基因家族。该项目将为年轻生物学家的教育和培训提供机会，并将成为实验室研究生的主要培训活动，本科生通过进行独立的研究项目来学习生物学。

The development of multicellular animals from a single-celled fertilized egg is a complex process that requires extensive communication between enormous numbers of cells. It is the long-term goal of this research to better understand how cellular signaling is used to direct activities that sculpt a multicellular organism. The approach taken in this project is to study the mechanisms by which one evolutionarily conserved signal cascade, the Janus kinase (JAK) signaling pathway, regulates development in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model for developmental cell signaling in other animals, including humans. Study of JAK signaling in fruit flies is particularly attractive because it is amenable to genetic and developmental manipulation and because only the three Unpaired (Upd) family proteins are believed to act as signals for the JAK pathway. Previous studies have examined the developmental functions of Upd and Upd2. The current project will use genetic, developmental, and biochemical methods to determine the functions of Upd3 in development and JAK signaling, as well as to determine the mechanisms by which the Unpaired family proteins act together to regulate JAK signaling during development. It is expected that mechanisms uncovered in this system will be applicable to multi-gene families of cell signaling proteins found in other animals. This project will provide opportunities for the education and training of young biologists and will be the primary training activity of graduate students in the laboratory, with additional roles played by undergraduates seeking to learn about biology through conducting independent research projects.