TY  - JOUR
A1  - Fagan, Jeremy K.
A1  - Dollar, Gretchen
A1  - Lu, Qiuheng
A1  - Barnett, Austen
A1  - Jorge, Joaquin Pechuan
A1  - Schlosser, Andreas
A1  - Pfleger, Cathie
A1  - Adler, Paul
A1  - Jenny, Andreas
T1  - Combover/CG10732, a Novel PCP Effector for Drosophila Wing Hair Formation
JF  - PLOS ONE
N2  - The polarization of cells is essential for the proper functioning of most organs. Planar Cell Polarity (PCP), the polarization within the plane of an epithelium, is perpendicular to apical-basal polarity and established by the non-canonical Wnt/Fz-PCP signaling pathway. Within each tissue, downstream PCP effectors link the signal to tissue specific readouts such as stereocilia orientation in the inner ear and hair follicle orientation in vertebrates or the polarization of ommatidia and wing hairs in Drosophila melanogaster. Specific PCP effectors in the wing such as Multiple wing hairs (Mwh) and Rho Kinase (Rok) are required to position the hair at the correct position and to prevent ectopic actin hairs. In a genome-wide screen in vitro, we identified Combover (Cmb)/CG10732 as a novel Rho kinase substrate. Overexpression of Cmb causes the formation of a multiple hair cell phenotype (MHC), similar to loss of rok and mwh. This MHC phenotype is dominantly enhanced by removal of rok or of other members of the PCP effector gene family. Furthermore, we show that Cmb physically interacts with Mwh, and cmb null mutants suppress the MHC phenotype of mwh alleles. Our data indicate that Cmb is a novel PCP effector that promotes to wing hair formation, a function that is antagonized by Mwh.
KW  - planar cell polarity
KW  - RHO-associated kinease
KW  - convergent extension movements
KW  - ROK-alpha
KW  - protein
KW  - phosphorylation
KW  - actin
KW  - gene
KW  - morphogenesis
KW  - localization
Y1  - 2014
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-115394
SN  - 1932-6203
VL  - 9
IS  - 9
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Ranger, Christopher M.
A1  - Biedermann, Peter HW
A1  - Phuntumart, Vipaporn
A1  - Beligala, Gayathri U.
A1  - Ghosh, Satyaki
A1  - Palmquist, Debra E.
A1  - Mueller, Robert
A1  - Barnett, Jenny
A1  - Schultz, Peter B.
A1  - Reding, Michael E.
A1  - Benz, J. Philipp
T1  - Symbiont selection via alcohol benefits fungus farming by ambrosia beetles
JF  - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
N2  - Animal-microbe mutualisms are typically maintained by vertical symbiont transmission or partner choice. A third mechanism, screening of high-quality symbionts, has been predicted in theory, but empirical examples are rare. Here we demonstrate that ambrosia beetles rely on ethanol within host trees for promoting gardens of their fungal symbiont and producing offspring. Ethanol has long been known as the main attractant for many of these fungus-farming beetles as they select host trees in which they excavate tunnels and cultivate fungal gardens. More than 300 attacks by Xylosandrus germanus and other species were triggered by baiting trees with ethanol lures, but none of the foundresses established fungal gardens or produced broods unless tree tissues contained in vivo ethanol resulting from irrigation with ethanol solutions. More X. germanus brood were also produced in a rearing substrate containing ethanol. These benefits are a result of increased food supply via the positive effects of ethanol on food-fungus biomass. Selected Ambrosiella and Raffaelea fungal isolates from ethanol-responsive ambrosia beetles profited directly and indirectly by (i) a higher biomass on medium containing ethanol, (ii) strong alcohol dehydrogenase enzymatic activity, and (iii) a competitive advantage over weedy fungal garden competitors (Aspergillus, Penicillium) that are inhibited by ethanol. As ambrosia fungi both detoxify and produce ethanol, they may maintain the selectivity of their alcohol-rich habitat for their own purpose and that of other ethanol-resistant/producing microbes. This resembles biological screening of beneficial symbionts and a potentially widespread, unstudied benefit of alcohol-producing symbionts (e.g., yeasts) in other microbial symbioses.
KW  - fungus-farming insects
KW  - plant-insect-microbe interactions
KW  - symbiosis
KW  - insect-fungus mutualism
KW  - host screening
Y1  - 2018
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-224953
VL  - 115
IS  - 17
ER  -