Publication
Characterizing the function of two Drosophila Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein coupled receptors
| dc.contributor.advisor | Gontijo, Álisson | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Herédia, Fabiana | |
| dc.contributor.author | Casimiro, Andreia Palos | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2015-02-26T16:41:17Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2016-12-30T01:30:15Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2014-09 | |
| dc.description | Dissertação para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Biologia Molecular em Saúde. | por |
| dc.description.abstract | Relaxin is a hormone structurally similar to insulin, firstly described in 1926, as a substance with a significant influence on the reproductive system. While insulin activates a tyrosine kinase receptor and stimulates signaling pathway that includes phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and serine/threorine kinase (AKT), relaxins bind to Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptors (LGRs) of the C1 subtype. In Drosophila, two LGRs of subtype C1 exhibit clear structural homology with relaxin receptors, described in mammals. Neverthless, the ligands and the biological functions of these receptors remain unknown not only in Drosophila, but also in invertebrates. Here our objective was to generate genetic tools to study the biological function of these two Type C1 LGRs in Drosophila. With this aim we generated mutant lines for both receptors through classical transposon remobilization techniques. The mutants obtained were characterized as strong loss-of-function deletions, yet no clear phenotype was observed for any of the receptors as regards viability and reproduction. We then tested the hypothesis that either Type C1 LGR could be part of the developmental delay pathway triggered by the Drosophila insuline-like peptide. This peptide is produced and secreted from abnormally growing imaginal discs and delays the onset of metamorphosis by inhibiting the biosynthesis of the major insect molting hormone ecdysone. Strikingly, we found that mutations in either Type C1 LGRs could suppress the insulin-like peptide-depend delay in the onset of metamorphosis to different extents. These results provide the first glimpse into a biological function for invertebrate Type C1 LGR receptors and place them downstream or in parallel to Drosophila insulin-like peptide in this developmental timing control pathway. The resemblance between human and Drosophila core physiological and developmental pathways reinforce that the fly can be a powerful model system to study genes and pathways that are relevant for human development and disease. | por |
| dc.identifier.tid | 201541181 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/7886 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | por |
| dc.subject | Drosophila melanogaster | por |
| dc.subject | Leucine-reach repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptors | por |
| dc.subject | Drosophila insulin-like peptide | por |
| dc.title | Characterizing the function of two Drosophila Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein coupled receptors | por |
| dc.type | master thesis | |
| dspace.entity.type | Publication | |
| rcaap.rights | openAccess | por |
| rcaap.type | masterThesis | por |