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Professor of Genetics and Cell Biology Director of Combined Program in the Biological & Biomedical Sciences |
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| Cooley lab website FlyTrap website Phone: (203) 785-5067 Lab: (203) 737-2953/2675 Fax: (203) 785-6333 e-mail: lynn.cooley@yale.edu |
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Department of Genetics <Courier Address> |
Ring canals. Several cytoplasm transport mutants revealed protein components of intercellular junctions called ring canals that connect nurse cells to each other and to the oocyte. We have found that growth of ring canals during development requires actin dynamics similar to what occurs at the leading edge of motile cells. We are continuing to characterize germline ring canal cell biology, as well as studying the function and prevalence of ring canals in somatic cells.
Oocyte microtubule dynamics. One mutant we are studying has an oocyte-specific phenotype in which cell shape is unstable and the movement of ooplasm is perturbed. Both phenotypes correlate with abnormal microtubule distribution in growing oocytes. The cloning of the affected gene is nearing completion.
Flytrap. In a new approach to discovering proteins required for oogenesis, we are carrying out a large-scale protein- trapping screen in which fusions between Green Fluorescent Protein and endogenous proteins are generated (see http://flytrap.med.yale.edu). The cellular and subcellular patterns of GFP-fusion protein expression provide instant insight into protein function. Since the GFP coding sequence is introduced by a transposon, we can identify the trapped protein by sequencing genomic DNA flanking the insertion site. The expression patterns along with gene sequences provide a powerful starting point for genetic and functional analyses of proteins used during development.
Figure A: Stage 10 egg chamber. Actin associated with plasma membranes and ring canals is labeled in red and nuclei are
blue.
Figure B: A single ring canal embedded in surrounding plasma membrane. Actin is red and HtsRC, a ring canal-specific protein,
is green.
for PDFKelso RJ, Buszczak M, Quinones AT, Castiblanco C, Mazzalupo S, Cooley L. (2004) Flytrap, a database documenting a GFP protein-trap insertion screen in Drosophila melanogaster. Nucl Acids Res. 32: D418-420.
Sokol NS, Cooley L. (2003) Drosophila Filamin is required for follicle cell motility during oogenesis. Devel Biol. 260: 260-272.
Kelso RJ, Hudson AM, Cooley L. (2002) Drosophila Kelch regulates actin organization via Src64-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation. J Cell Biol. 156: 703-713.
Hudson AM, Cooley L. (2002) A subset of dynamic actin rearrangements in Drosophila requires the Arp2/3 complex. J Cell Biol. 156: 677-87.
Buszczak M, Segraves WA, Cooley L. (2002) Loss of midway, encoding a Drosophila acyl coenzyme A: diacylglycerol acyltransferase, leads to premature egg chamber apoptosis. Genetics 160: 1511-1518.
Hudson AM, Cooley L. (2002) Understanding the function of actin-binding proteins through genetic analysis of Drosophila oogenesis. Annu Rev Genet. 36: 455-488.
