Identification of tissue-specific genes involved in peroxisome biogenesis or function in Drosophila melanogaster

我们的实验室研究胚胎细胞中必要的过程，因为它们专门成为发育中动物体内的部分特定组织。在细胞内，称为过氧体的小细胞体调节重要的过程，如脂(脂肪)新陈代谢和可损害其他分子的活性氧分子的解毒。从对酵母等生物的研究中，我们知道了大约12个基因的基本集合，这些基因是形成过氧化物酶和发挥基本功能所必需的(S)。然而，我们也知道，作为动物组织一部分的细胞中存在着不同数量和不同功能组成的过氧化物体。因此，在构成每个器官的细胞内，肯定有超过12个基本的过氧化物体基因参与了对过氧化物体形成或功能的特定调节。我们将使用果蝇(果蝇)作为一个简单的遗传模型，来系统地确定过氧化物体的形成是如何在脑、肝脏和肌肉等动物组织中受到独特调控的。使用果蝇来识别和描述调控组织发育的不同细胞方面的特殊基因已经有一百多年的科学先例了。我们的工作已经证实，酵母中对过氧化物体重要的相应基本基因家族对果蝇过氧化物体形成的基本方面也同样重要。我们目前的研究计划将解决两个关键问题，这将显著提高我们对这些关键细胞器的理解：1)在果蝇等简单动物的早期发育过程中，Pex基因的突变如何导致器官特异性缺陷？2)哪些基因调节特定器官中的过氧化物酶的形成和/或功能？

Our laboratory studies the processes that are necessary within embryonic cells as they specialize to become part specific tissues within the developing animal. Within cells, small cellular bodies called peroxisomes regulate important processes such as lipid (fat) metabolism and the detoxification of reactive oxygen molecules that can damage other molecules. From studies of organisms such as yeast, that exist as single cells growing in isolation, we know the basic set of approximately twelve genes necessary for peroxisome formation and basic function(s). However, we also know that peroxisomes are present in different amounts and with different functional compositions in the cells that are part of animal tissues. Therefore, there must be more than the twelve basic peroxisome genes involved in the specific regulation of peroxisome formation or function within the cells that form each organ. We will use Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies), as a simple genetic model to systematically determine how peroxisome formation is uniquely regulated in animal tissues such as the brain, liver and muscles. There is over one hundred years of scientific precedent using Drosophila to identify and characterize the specialized genes that regulate different cellular aspects of tissue development. Our work has already confirmed that the corresponding basic family of genes important for peroxisomes in yeasts are similarly important for the basic aspects Drosophila peroxisome formation. Our current research program will address two critical questions that will significantly improve our understanding of these critical cellular organelles: 1) How do mutations in Pex genes cause organ-specific defects during early development of a simple animal like fruit flies? 2) What are the genes that regulate peroxisome formation and/or function in specific organs?