Wei Du

The Retinoblastoma family of proteins is believed to play important roles in the control of cell proliferation and differentiation. We have taken a genetic approach to analyze the function of RB family proteins in Drosophila and to dissect the RB pathway through genetic screens. We have cloned Drosophila RB family homolog (RBF), and generated RBF mutant flies. Analysis of the cell cycle regulation in embryos devoid of RBF revealed that RBF is required for the establishment of the first G1 phase during embryogenesis (Du and Dyson 1999). Characterization of the genetic interactions between RBF and dE2F1 suggests that E2F may be the only essential target of RBF for viability (Du, 2000). Using clonal analysis, the involvement of RBF in the patterned proliferation is being investigated, this study may provide the key to our understanding of how the cell proliferation and pattern formation is coordinated. In addition, we showed that expression of RBF in the Drosophila developing eye resulted in a dominant eye phenotype. This phenotype has been used to carry out screens to identify genes that functionally interacted with RBF. A number of genes identified in the screen are curently being characterized.

The Retinoblastoma family of proteins is believed to play important roles in the control of cell proliferation and differentiation. We have taken a genetic approach to analyze the function of RB family proteins in Drosophila and to dissect the RB pathway through genetic screens. We have cloned Drosophila RB family homolog (RBF), and generated RBF mutant flies. Analysis of the cell cycle regulation in embryos devoid of RBF revealed that RBF is required for the establishment of the first G1 phase during embryogenesis (Du and Dyson 1999). Characterization of the genetic interactions between RBF and dE2F1 suggests that E2F may be the only essential target of RBF for viability (Du, 2000). Using clonal analysis, the involvement of RBF in the patterned proliferation is being investigated, this study may provide the key to our understanding of how the cell proliferation and pattern formation is coordinated. In addition, we showed that expression of RBF in the Drosophila developing eye resulted in a dominant eye phenotype. This phenotype has been used to carry out screens to identify genes that functionally interacted with RBF. A number of genes identified in the screen are curently being characterized.

Matakatsu, MT, and Du, W. (2008) Direct control of proneural gene atonal by retinal determination factors during Drosophila eye development. Dev Biol. 313, 787-801.  

Sukhanova, MJ and Du, W. (2008) Control of Cell Cycle Entry and Exiting from the Second Mitotic Wave in the Drosophila Developing Eye. BMC Developmental Biology. 8, 7.  

Deb,DK, Jones, L., Richardson, HE, and Du, W. (2008) Wingless signaling directly regulates cyclin E expression in proliferating embryonic PNS precursor cells. Mechanisms of Dev. 125, 857-64. 

Sukhanova, M. Deb, D.K., Gordon, G.M., Matakatsu, MT, and Du, W. (2007) Proneural bHLH proteins and EGFR signaling coordinately regulate cell type specification and cdk inhibitor expression in Drosophila. MCB, 27, 2987-96. 

Pogoriler J., Millen, K., Utset, M., and Du, W. (2006) Loss of cyclin D1 impairs cerebellar development and suppresses medulloblastoma formation. Development, 133, 3929-3937. 

Duman-Scheel, M., Johnston, L., and Du, W. (2004) Repression of dMyc expression by Wingless promotes RBF-induced G1 arrest in the Presumptive Drosophila Wing Margin. PNAS, 101, 3857-3862. 

Weng, L., Zhu, C., Xu, J. and Du, W. (2003) Critical role of active repression by E2F and Rb proteins in endoreplication during Drosophila development. EMBO J., 22, 3865-3875. 

Duman-Scheel, M., Weng, L., Xin, S., and Du, W. (2002) Hedgehog signaling controls cell proliferation and growth through upregulation of Cyclin D and Cyclin E. Nature. 417: 299-304. 

Xin, S., Weng, L., Xu, J., and Du, W. (2002) The role of RBF in developmentally regulated cell proliferation in the eye disc and in Cyclin D/Cdk4 induced cellular growth. Development. 129:1345-1356. 

Du, W. (2000) Suppression of the rbf null mutants by a de2f1 allele that lacks transactivation domain. Development. 127:367-379. 

Matakatsu, MT, and Du, W. (2008) Direct control of proneural gene atonal by retinal determination factors during Drosophila eye development. Dev Biol. 313, 787-801.  

Sukhanova, MJ and Du, W. (2008) Control of Cell Cycle Entry and Exiting from the Second Mitotic Wave in the Drosophila Developing Eye. BMC Developmental Biology. 8, 7.  

Deb,DK, Jones, L., Richardson, HE, and Du, W. (2008) Wingless signaling directly regulates cyclin E expression in proliferating embryonic PNS precursor cells. Mechanisms of Dev. 125, 857-64. 

Sukhanova, M. Deb, D.K., Gordon, G.M., Matakatsu, MT, and Du, W. (2007) Proneural bHLH proteins and EGFR signaling coordinately regulate cell type specification and cdk inhibitor expression in Drosophila. MCB, 27, 2987-96. 

Pogoriler J., Millen, K., Utset, M., and Du, W. (2006) Loss of cyclin D1 impairs cerebellar development and suppresses medulloblastoma formation. Development, 133, 3929-3937.