Faculty Advisor
Joseph B Duffy
Faculty Advisor
Reeta Prusty Rao
Faculty Advisor
Samuel M Politz
Faculty Advisor
Kristi Wharton
Identifier
etd-050113-121823
Abstract
Precise spatial and temporal control of cellular adhesion and signal transduction events are necessary for accurate animal development. Given the necessity for cell communication in carrying out processes like cell fate specification, growth, cell migration and differentiation, it is not surprising that signaling transduction pathways, such as EGFR, BMP, Notch, Wingless and Hippo, are intimately involved. All these pathways encompass a cascade of molecular events over which there is exquisite spatial and temporal control. A wide array of mechanisms, involving a diverse set of molecules, acts to provide this regulatory control. One such molecule implicated in the BMP signaling pathway in Drosophila development is Kek5, a Leucine rich repeat and Immunoglobulin domain (LIG) family member. Here I show that Kek5 modulates both BMP signaling and adherens junctions. For these functions, I further demonstrate that structural elements in both extracellular and intracellular region of Kek5 are critical, providing new insight into the LIG family and their roles in signaling pathways.
Publisher
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Degree Name
PhD
Department
Biology & Biotechnology
Project Type
Dissertation
Date Accepted
2013-05-01
Copyright Statement
All authors have granted to WPI a nonexclusive royalty-free license to distribute copies of the work. Copyright is held by the author or authors, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. If you have any questions, please contact wpi-etd@wpi.edu.
Accessibility
Unrestricted
Repository Citation
Menon, H. (2013). Deciphering the Role of Kekkon5 in BMP signaling and Cell Junction Biology. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.wpi.edu/etd-dissertations/459
Subjects
BMP signaling, LIGs, Cellular adhesion