ARQUIER , Nathalie

Lipids provide an essential source of metabolites and energy in normal development as well as during periods of food deprivation. A recent study in Drosophila (Gutierrez et al., 2007) reveals a novel role in regulating lipid metabolism for specialized cells called oenocytes that present striking functional similarities to mammalian hepatocytes.

International audience

International audience

In many metazoans, final adult size depends on the growth rate and the duration of the growth period, two parameters influenced by nutritional cues. We demonstrate that, in Drosophila, nutrition modifies the timing of development by acting on the prothoracic gland (PG), which secretes the molting hormone ecdysone. When activity of the Target of...

Inactivation of the lethal(2)giant larvae (l(2)gl) gene results in malignant transformation of imaginal disc cells and neuroblasts of the larval brain in Drosophila. Subcellular localization of the l(2)gl gene product, P127, and its biochemical characterization have indicated that it participates in the formation of the cytoskeletal network. In...

The Drosophila tumor suppressor gene lethal(2) giant larvae (lgl) encodes a cytoskeletal protein required for the change in shape and polarity acquisition of epithelial cells, and also for asymmetric division of neuroblasts. We show here that lgl participates in the emission of Decapentaplegic (Dpp), a member of the transforming growth factor...

Eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) controls a crucial step of translation initiation and is critical for cell growth . Biochemical studies have shown that it undergoes a regulated phosphorylation by the MAP-kinase signal-integrating kinases Mnk1 and Mnk2 . Although the role of eIF4E phosphorylation in mammalian cells has remained elusive ,...

The brain plays a key role in energy homeostasis, detecting nutrients, metabolites and circulating hormones from peripheral organs and integrating this information to control food intake and energy expenditure. Here, we show that a group of neurons in the Drosophila larval brain expresses the adiponectin receptor (AdipoR) and controls systemic...

The brain is the central organizer of food intake, matching the quality and quantity of the food sources with organismal needs. To ensure appropriate amino acid balance, many species reject a diet lacking one or several essential amino acids (EAAs) and seek out a better food source. Here, we show that, in Drosophila larvae, this behavior relies...

The brain is the central organizer of food intake, matching the quality and quantity of the food sources with organismal needs. To ensure appropriate amino acid balance, many species reject a diet lacking one or several essential amino acids (EAAs) and seek out a better food source. Here, we show that, in Drosophila larvae, this behavior relies...

The mechanism by which hypoxia induces gene transcription involves the inhibition of HIF-1α (hypoxia-inducible factor-1 α subunit) PHD (prolyl hydroxylase) activity, which prevents the VHL (von Hippel-Lindau)-dependent targeting of HIF-1α to the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway. HIF-1α thus accumulates and promotes gene transcription. In the...

In metazoans, factors of the insulin family control growth, metabolism, longevity, and fertility in response to environmental cues. In Drosophila, a family of seven insulin-like peptides, called Dilps, activate a common insulin receptor. Some Dilp peptides carry both metabolic and growth functions, raising the possibility that various binding...

The mechanism by which hypoxia induces gene transcription involves the inhibition of HIF-1alpha (hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha subunit) PHD (prolyl hydroxylase) activity, which prevents the VHL (von Hippel-Lindau)-dependent targeting of HIF-1alpha to the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway. HIF-1alpha thus accumulates and promotes gene...

Cardiopathies are one of the leading causes of death in obese diabetics. Resulting in part from junk food, diabetic cardiomyopathies are notably characterized by contractile dysfunctions. Using the Drosophila model for cardiac function in pathophysiological context, we identified a set of candidate genes, expressed by the heart, whose...

International audience