JAK JAK / STAT STAT signaling is involved in air sac primordium development of Drosophila?melanogaster Drosophila?melanogaster

摘要

The dorsal thoracic air sacs in fruit flies ( Drosophila?melanogaster ) are functionally and developmentally comparable to human lungs. The progenitors of these structures, air sac primordia ( ASP s), invasively propagate into wing imaginal disks, employing mechanisms similar to those that promote metastasis in malignant tumors. We investigated whether Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription JAK / STAT signaling plays a role in the directed morphogenesis of ASP s. We find that JAK / STAT signaling occurs in ASP tip cells and misexpression of core components in the JAK / STAT signaling cascade significantly impedes ASP development. We further identify Upd2 as an activating ligand for JAK / STAT activity in the ASP . Together, these data constitute a considerable step forward in understanding the role of JAK / STAT signaling in ASP s and similar structures in mammalian models.