Analysis of the formation and regulation of quiescence of the adult muscle precursor cells (AMPs) during embryonic development by using the GFP-Labeled marker genes twist and Him in Drosophila melanogaster

• Applicant: Dr. Dominik Müller
• Subject Area: Developmental Biology
• Term: from 2006 to 2011
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 34363868

Mesoderm development is a highly regulated and time dependent process during embryogenesis. The determination of mesodermal cells and their cell fate occurs early in embryonic development and is controlled by the mesodermal fate gene twist. Interestingly, after the expression of this mesodermal marker has declined in later embryonic stages, it persists in distinct cells, the adult muscle precursors (AMPs), which remain undifferentiated until the pupal stage. During the transition from the pupal stage to the adult fly, much of the musculature is rebuilt from these AMPs. Adult muscle precursor cells share certain properties of vertebrate muscle stem cells, e.g. they are generated by Numb-dependent asymmetric cell division, they are able to renew themselves, they remain quiescent, and are able to replace damaged cells and to adopt their properties. However, the regulation of AMP development is not very well understood. Therefore, I plan to determine the role of known genes, particularly of twist, in these cells as well as to perform a genetic screen to identify new genes involved in the regulation of AMPs. The functional features of these genes will shed new light on AMP development and the obtained data may further support the notion that AMPs are akin to muscle stem cells in Drosophila melanogaster.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Dr. Manfred Frasch