A Database of Drosophila Genes & Genomes

FB2013_03, released May 7th, 2013
 

Reference Report

Reference
Citation Yu, L., Lee, T., Lin, N., Wolf, M.J. (2010). Affecting Rhomboid-3 function causes a dilated heart in adult Drosophila.  PLoS Genet. 6(5): e1000969. (Export to RIS)
FlyBase ID FBrf0210954
Publication Type Research paper
PubMed ID 20523889
PubMed Abstract Drosophila is a well recognized model of several human diseases, and recent investigations have demonstrated that Drosophila can be used as a model of human heart failure. Previously, we described that optical coherence tomography (OCT) can be used to rapidly examine the cardiac function in adult, awake flies. This technique provides images that are similar to echocardiography in humans, and therefore we postulated that this approach could be combined with the vast resources that are available in the fly community to identify new mutants that have abnormal heart function, a hallmark of certain cardiovascular diseases. Using OCT to examine the cardiac function in adult Drosophila from a set of molecularly-defined genomic deficiencies from the DrosDel and Exelixis collections, we identified an abnormally enlarged cardiac chamber in a series of deficiency mutants spanning the rhomboid 3 locus. Rhomboid 3 is a member of a highly conserved family of intramembrane serine proteases and processes Spitz, an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like ligand. Using multiple approaches based on the examination of deficiency stocks, a series of mutants in the rhomboid-Spitz-EGF receptor pathway, and cardiac-specific transgenic rescue or dominant-negative repression of EGFR, we demonstrate that rhomboid 3 mediated activation of the EGF receptor pathway is necessary for proper adult cardiac function. The importance of EGF receptor signaling in the adult Drosophila heart underscores the concept that evolutionarily conserved signaling mechanisms are required to maintain normal myocardial function. Interestingly, prior work showing the inhibition of ErbB2, a member of the EGF receptor family, in transgenic knock-out mice or individuals that received herceptin chemotherapy is associated with the development of dilated cardiomyopathy. Our results, in conjunction with the demonstration that altered ErbB2 signaling underlies certain forms of mammalian cardiomyopathy, suggest that an evolutionarily conserved signaling mechanism may be necessary to maintain post-developmental cardiac function.
DOI 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000969
Related Publication(s)
hide Recent Updates
Description
What does this section display?
This section contains items that were added to this record for each release. It currently only tracks new links between this FlyBase report and other FlyBase data classes (e.g. genes, references, stocks) or controlled vocabulary terms (e.g. GO, anatomy terms).
What does this section not display?
This section does not currently display links that were removed or gene model changes.
Update Feed
Click the icon below to subscribe to this FlyBase record and receive updates automatically through your feed reader.
FB2013_03
FB2013_02
All updates Click here to see a list of all updates to this record from FB2010_08 and on.
hide Associated Information
Comments
Associated Files
hide Other Information
Secondary IDs
Language of Publication English
Additional Languages of Abstract
Also Published As
hide Parent Publication
Publication Type Journal
Abbreviation PLoS Genet.
Title PLoS Genetics
Publication Year 2005-
ISBN/ISSN 1553-7404 1553-7390
hide Data from Reference
hideAberrations (13)
hideAlleles (26)
hideConstructs (8)
hideGenes (22)
hideInsertions (9)
hideNatural transposons (1)