Epithelial tissue morphogenesis in metazoans

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Epithelia, composed of epithelial cells, delimit the frontier between the external environment and the inside of complex organisms. Therefore, epithelial cells cover the surface of the body (e.g. skin) and line internal cavities of organs (found in the intestine, lungs, liver, etc). An important function of epithelia is to selectively transport molecules, for instance nutrients from the intestinal lumen toward the bloodstream. This function relies on the asymmetric distribution of many cellular constituents, a structural organization referred to as epithelial polarity. The polarized architecture of epithelial cells also shapes organs and animals. We discovered that the protein Yrt is a crucial regulator of epithelial cell polarity. To decipher how this protein works, we use the fruit fly as model organism. Using this tractable genetic model, we will identify all genes functionally related to