Fascin for cell migration in Drosophila

Fascin is an actin bundling protein well characterized in vitro and its increased expression in human tumors is correlated with the invasiveness of various cancers. However, the actual roles and regulations of Fascin in vivo remain elusive. We showed recently that Fascin is required in Drosophila embryos for the invasive-like migration of blood cells. This in vivo dissection which also suggests that Fascin activity relies on various post-translational regulatory mechanisms differing between tissues is discussed.