DASPP/BOA PROTEINS · Functional Analysis of dASPP/Boa, novel regulators of dCsk in epithelial growth and morphogenesis

Src-family kinases play major roles in promoting adherens junctions remodelling in development and metastasis. Their activities are negatively regulated by C-terminal Src kinase (Csk). The host lab it has recently shown that Drosophila Ankyrin-repeat, SH3-domain and Proline-rich-region containing (dASPP), together with Boa the homology of mammalian Ras association domain family 8, regulates the function of dCsk in maintaining adherens junctions polarity and integrity in Drosophila (Langton et al., 2007 and unpublished data). However, the molecular nature of this interaction and the exact functions of dASPP and Boa on developing epithelia are still unknown. In this research project, we propose to address the molecular mechanism by which dASPP and Boa regulates dCsk activity and their function in epithelial growth and morphogenesis during development, as well as identify new regulators of Src signalling in epithelial cells.