Pvr expression regulators in equilibrium signal control and maintenance of Drosophila blood progenitors

• Published in: eLife Vol. 3; p. e03626
• Main Authors: Mondal, Bama Charan, Shim, Jiwon, Evans, Cory J, Banerjee, Utpal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England eLife Sciences Publications Ltd 08.09.2014; eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
• Subjects: Adenosine; Adenosine deaminase; Animals; Blood; Blood cells; Cell Differentiation - genetics; Developmental Biology and Stem Cells; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster - cytology; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Drosophila melanogaster - metabolism; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; Enzymes; Equilibrium; equilibrium signaling; Genes, Insect; Genetic Association Studies; Genetic screening; Genetic Testing; Hematopoiesis; Hematopoietic Stem Cells - cytology; Hematopoietic Stem Cells - metabolism; hemocyte; Hemopoiesis; Immunoglobulins; Insects; Kinases; Laboratories; Lymph; Lymph gland; Lymph Nodes - cytology; macrophage; Models, Biological; niche signaling; Phenotype; Platelet-derived growth factor; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - metabolism; Reproducibility of Results; Ribosomal protein S8; RNA Interference; Signal Transduction - genetics; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Vertebrates; California; stem cells; hematopoiesis; lymph gland; developmental biology; niche signaling; macrophage; D. melanogaster; hemocyte; equilibrium signaling
• ISSN: 2050-084X; 2050-084X
• DOI: 10.7554/elife.03626

Blood progenitors within the lymph gland, a larval organ that supports hematopoiesis in Drosophila melanogaster, are maintained by integrating signals emanating from niche-like cells and those from differentiating blood cells. We term the signal from differentiating cells the 'equilibrium signal' in order to distinguish it from the 'niche signal'. Earlier we showed that equilibrium signaling utilizes Pvr (the Drosophila PDGF/VEGF receptor), STAT92E, and adenosine deaminase-related growth factor A (ADGF-A) (Mondal et al., 2011). Little is known about how this signal initiates during hematopoietic development. To identify new genes involved in lymph gland blood progenitor maintenance, particularly those involved in equilibrium signaling, we performed a genetic screen that identified bip1 (bric à brac interacting protein 1) and Nucleoporin 98 (Nup98) as additional regulators of the equilibrium signal. We show that the products of these genes along with the Bip1-interacting protein RpS8 (Ribosomal protein S8) are required for the proper expression of Pvr.