Genetic mechanism discovery key to controlling cell growth in the vinegar fly

A group of researchers from the Department of Genetics of the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Institute of Biomedicine of the UB (IBUB) –located at the PCB– have described a key interaction to understanding growth control in the vinegar fly (Drosophila melanogaster). According to the study, the interaction between the transcription factor Cabut and the protein Yorkie (YAP/TAZ in humans) is necessary for tissue and organ regeneration and growth. The study could have biomedical implications as the protein Yorkie is associated with different types of cancer; to avoid the interaction between Cabut and Yorkie could be a potential therapeutic target.

Cabut is a transcription factor, in other words, a type of protein bound, directly or indirectly, to DNA involved in genetic information transmission that regulates gene expression. "Cabut is associated with growth regulation and cell proliferation, but little was known about its downstream target genes or its precise mechanism of action until now", affirms Marina Ruiz-Romero, first author of the scientific article, published in the journal EMBO Reports (doi:10.15252/embr.201439193).

In order to know its mechanism of action, researchers used a high-throughput sequencing technique named ChIP-Seq. With this technique, they determine Cabut bound regions in the entire genome. Then, the UB research team compared the results obtained with several databases until they found another protein that appeared in the same regions: Yorkie. Next, they proved experimentally that both proteins (Cabut and Yorkie) were together and depend on each other to control growth.

IBUB researchers continue studying tissue regeneration mechanisms. In future studies, they will continue using the vinegar fly as a model to identify new genes involved in these processes. In future studies, the UB research team will continue using the vinegar fly as a model to identify new genes involved in these processes. "Basic research is essential to find biomedical applications. In this sense, many aspects about development, cancer and regeneration are known thanks to the drosophila", concludes Montserrat Corominas.

Image: The interaction between the transcription factor Cabut and the protein Yorkie is necessary for tissue and organ regeneration and growth. Source: UB.