Deciphering tumor-suppressor signaling in flies: genetic link between Scribble/Dlg/Lgl and the Hippo pathways

Loss of apico-basal polarity is one of the crucial factors that drives epithelial tumor progression.scribble/discs large/lethal giant larvae (scrib/dlg/lgl),a group of apico-basal polarity genes,were initially identified as members of “neoplastic” tumor-suppressors in flies.The components of the Hippo signaling pathway,which is crucial for organ size control and cancer development,were also identified through Drosophila genetic screens as members of “hyperplastic” tumor-suppressors.Accumulating evidence in recent studies implies that these two tumor-suppressor signaling pathways are not mutually exclusive but rather cooperatively act to give rise to highly malignant tumors.The interaction of these tumor-suppressor pathways could include deregulations of actin cytoskeleton,cell-cell contact,and apical-domain size of the epithelial cell.     

Cereal β-amylase: Immunochemical study on two enzyme-deficient inbred lines of rye

Two inbred lines of rye (Secale cereale L), the kernels of which displayed a very low level of lgl5/xxlarge946.gif" alt="beta" align="MIDDLE" BORDER="0">-amylase activity (1–3% of the levels generally found in rye), were investigated in comparison with a third normal line. An anti-wheat lgl5/xxlarge946.gif" alt="beta" align="MIDDLE" BORDER="0">-amylase immune serum which cross-reacted with the rye enzyme was used in this study.The anti-wheat lgl5/xxlarge946.gif" alt="beta" align="MIDDLE" BORDER="0">-amylase immune serum absorbed the lgl5/xxlarge946.gif" alt="beta" align="MIDDLE" BORDER="0">-amylase activity in the three lines which were investigated. Comparably small amounts of enzymatic antigen corresponded to the small levels of activity detected in the enzyme-deficient lines. The three inbred lines were equally able to germinate. One of the enzyme-deficient lines was further investigated and neither the level of activity nor the amount of enzymatic antigen were notably changed upon germination.The results indicate that the reduced activity is due neither to the presence of an inhibitor nor to the production of inactive enzymes. Germination can proceed normally without late production of lgl5/xxlarge946.gif" alt="beta" align="MIDDLE" BORDER="0">-amylase.