University Archives

Drosophila melanogaster is a well-established genetic model system for understanding the interplay among development, growth, and genetics. Here, we continue our work on the role of the gene Apoptosis-Inducing Factor (AIF-1) during development. Previous studies have shown that AIF-1 mutation dramatically reduced homozygous mutant clone size in a mosaic setting. Our current project is trying to understand the molecular and developmental role of AIF-1 in the fly. To investigate this, we are using imaginal disc staining and immunofluorescence to determine if any common developmental pathways are perturbed in an AIF-1 mutant background. Currently, we are using antibodies for common signaling pathways (Wg, Hh, N, Jack-Stat, Hpo, Dpp, Pas/Map k) to see if AIF-1 impacts the normal developmental signaling pattern(s).