a-cell-based-assay-to-investigate-non-muscle-myosin-ii-contractility

A Cell-based Assay to Investigate Non-muscle Myosin II Contractility <em>via</em> the Folded-gastrulation Signaling Pathway in <em>Drosophila</em> S2R+ Cells

We have developed a cell-based assay using Drosophila cells that recapitulates apical constriction initiated by folded gastrulation (Fog), a secreted ...

Reed College

Networks have become ubiquitous in systems biology. Visualization is a crucial component in their analysis. However, collaborations within research teams in network biology are hampered by software systems that are either specific to a computational algorithm, create visualizations that are not biologically meaningful, or have limited features for sharing networks and visualizations. We present GraphSpace, a web-based platform that fosters team science by allowing collaborating research groups to easily store, interact with, layout and share networks.

GraphSpace: stimulating interdisciplinary collaborations in network biology.

There is limited knowledge about the metabolic reprogramming induced by cancer therapies and how this contributes to therapeutic resistance. Here we show that although inhibition of PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling markedly decreased glycolysis and restrained tumor growth, these signaling and metabolic restrictions triggered autophagy, which supplied the metabolites required for the maintenance of mitochondrial respiration and redox homeostasis. Specifically, we found that survival of cancer cells was critically dependent on phospholipase A2 (PLA2) to mobilize lysophospholipids and free fatty acids to sustain fatty acid oxidation and oxidative phosphorylation. Consistent with this, we observed significantly increased lipid droplets, with subsequent mobilization to mitochondria. These changes were abrogated in cells deficient for the essential autophagy gene  Accordingly, inhibition of PLA2 significantly decreased lipid droplets, decreased oxidative phosphorylation, and increased apoptosis. Together, these results describe how treatment-induced autophagy provides nutrients for cancer cell survival and identifies novel cotreatment strategies to override this survival advantage.

Anna Ritz

Department of Biology

Reed College

A Cell-based Assay to Investigate Non-muscle Myosin II Contractility via the Folded-gastrulation Signaling Pathway in Drosophila S2R+ Cells

Anna Ritz

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Department of Biology

Reed College

A Cell-based Assay to Investigate Non-muscle Myosin II Contractility via the Folded-gastrulation Signaling Pathway in Drosophila S2R+ Cells

Department of Biology