posted on 2018-07-25, 00:00authored byManuel G. Alvarez
ABSTRACT
ribbon (rib) encodes a protein containing a Bric-á-brac, Tramtrack, and Broad complex (BTB) domain, which facilitates protein-protein interactions, as well as a Pipsqueak domain for DNA binding. Previous work has demonstrated that rib regulates the formation of the trachea and salivary glands in Drosophila melanogaster. A mutagenesis screen revealed that rib is also required for gonad morphogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster. rib continues to be expressed and localize to the nucleus of germ cells and somatic cells in the adult testes, while there is only faint immunostaining for rib at the cell periphery in adult ovaries. In order to explore the role of rib beyond embryogenesis in the gonad, overexpression and knockdown of rib was performed in germ cells and somatic gonadal cells. While knockdown with the RNAi line tested did not yield effects on gonad morphology, overexpression of rib resulted in altered morphology of both ovaries and testes.