Basal spot junctions of Drosophila epithelial tissues respond to morphogenetic forces and regulate Hippo signaling

Benjamin Kroeger; Samuel A Manning; Yoshana Fonseka; Viola Oorschot; Simon A Crawford; Georg Ramm; Kieran F Harvey

Journal article

Basal spot junctions of Drosophila epithelial tissues respond to morphogenetic forces and regulate Hippo signaling

Benjamin Kroeger, Samuel A Manning, Yoshana Fonseka, Viola Oorschot, Simon A Crawford, Georg Ramm, Kieran F Harvey

Developmental Cell | Elsevier | Published : 2024

DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.11.024

Abstract

Organ size is controlled by numerous factors including mechanical forces, which are mediated in part by the Hippo pathway. In growing Drosophila epithelial tissues, cytoskeletal tension influences Hippo signaling by modulating the localization of key pathway proteins to different apical domains. Here, we discovered a Hippo signaling hub at basal spot junctions, which form at the basal-most point of the lateral membranes and resemble adherens junctions in protein composition. Basal spot junctions recruit the central kinase Warts via Ajuba and E-cadherin, which prevent Warts activation by segregating it from upstream Hippo pathway proteins. Basal spot junctions are prominent when tissues under..

View full abstract

University of Melbourne Researchers

Kieran Harvey Author

Related Projects (3)

CONTROL OF ORGAN SIZE AND CANCER BY THE HIPPO PATHWAY

The Hippo pathway is a key regulator of tissue growth. It was first discovered in vinegar flies and plays a similar role in mammals. We aim ..

The Hippo pathway in development and cancer

Appropriate growth of organs is essential for life and can go awry in diseases such as cancer. A crucial regulator of organ size and cancer ..

HOW DO NEURONS MAINTAIN THEIR FATE?

This project aims to investigate how neurons maintain their identity, without reverting back to less specialised cells. Stable fate maintena..

Grants

Awarded by Australian Research Council

Funding Acknowledgements

We thank members of the Harvey Lab, Alpha Yap, and Ivar Noordstra for dis-cussions and comments on the manuscript. We thank Shu Kondo, Markus Affolter, Yohanns Bellaiche, Rick Fehon, Iswar Hariharan, Ken Irvine, Gary Struhl, the Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center, the Vienna Drosophila RNAi Center, the Australian Drosophila Research Support Facility, and the Developmental Studies Hybridoma Bank for D. melanogaster stocks and anti-bodies, and Thomas Hall, Rob Parton, and Xiaomeng Zhang for plasmids. K.F.H. was supported by a senior research fellowship (APP1078220) and investigator grant (APP1194467) from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. This research was supported by the Australian Research Council (DP180102044, DP190101743, DP22010523, and DP230 101406) . We acknowledge the Monash Micro Imaging Facility and the Monash Ramaciotti Centre for Cryo-Electron microscopy.r Research Council of Australia. This research was supported by the Australian Research Council (DP180102044, DP190101743, DP22010523, and DP230 101406) . We acknowledge the Monash Micro Imaging Facility and the Monash Ramaciotti Centre for Cryo-Electron microscopy.