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Actin-Capping Protein and the Hippo pathway regulate F-actin and tissue growth in Drosophila

Beatriz García Fernández1, Pedro Gaspar, Catarina Brás-Pereira

  • 1Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande 6, P-2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal.

Development (Cambridge, England)
|April 29, 2011
PubMed

Insights

The actin-Capping Protein suppresses tissue growth by inhibiting Yorkie. Its loss causes abnormal F-actin accumulation and ectopic Yorkie activity, revealing a link between actin dynamics and Hippo pathway growth control.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • The Hippo pathway is a critical regulator of tissue growth and organ size.
  • Yorkie is a transcription co-activator regulated by the Hippo pathway.
  • Actin dynamics play roles in various cellular processes, including cell shape and motility.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of actin-Capping Protein in regulating tissue growth.
  • To explore the relationship between actin dynamics and the Hippo pathway.
  • To understand how actin-regulatory proteins influence Yorkie activity.

Main Methods:

  • Genetic manipulation of actin-regulatory proteins (Capping Protein, Cofilin, Capulet) in Drosophila.
  • Analysis of F-actin accumulation using fluorescent imaging.
  • Assessment of Hippo pathway activity and Yorkie target gene expression.
  • Overexpression studies of Hippo pathway components.

Main Results:

  • Loss of Capping Protein leads to abnormal F-actin accumulation and reduced Hippo pathway activity.
  • Capping Protein and Capulet, but not Cofilin, suppress ectopic Yorkie activity.
  • Abnormal F-actin accumulation occurs independently of Yorkie when Hippo activity is reduced.
  • Overexpression of Expanded partially rescues F-actin defects in Capping Protein-depleted cells.

Conclusions:

  • Actin-Capping Protein is a novel suppressor of tissue growth by inhibiting Yorkie.
  • A new interplay exists between Hippo pathway signaling and actin filament dynamics.
  • This interaction is crucial for maintaining normal tissue growth control.

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