In the morphogenesis of tissue development, how coordination of patterning and growth achieve the correct organ size and shape is a principal question in biology. Efficient orchestrating mechanisms are required to achieve this and cells have developed sophisticated systems for reception and interpretation of the multitude of extracellular stimuli to which they are exposed. Plasma membrane receptors play a key role in the transmission of such signals. G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the

more »

... argest class of cell surface receptors that respond to an enormous diversity of extracellular stimuli, and are critical mediators of cellular signal transduction in eukaryotic organisms. Signaling through GPCRs has been well characterized in many biological contexts. While they are a major class of signal transducers, there are not many defined instances where GPCRs have been implicated in the process of development to date. The Drosophila wing provides an ideal model system to elucidate and address the role of GPCRs in development, as its growth is regulated by a small number of conserved signaling pathways. In my thesis work, I address the role of a trimeric G alpha protein in Drosophila, Gαf, and what part it may play in development. In particular, I explore the role of Gαf as an alpha subunit of a trimeric complex, to determine what heptahelical receptors might act as its cognate receptor.