Epithelial tubes are among the essential units of tube-based organs such as the lung, kidney and vascular system. Many of these organs originate as simple tubular structures during embryonic development and are later ramified into more complex, branched organs. The goal of our research is to understand the cellular and molecular mechanism by which epithelial tubes are formed during embryonic development. As a model system, we use the embryonic salivary glands of Drosophila melanogaster because of its simple non-branched structure and because it is highly amenable to genetic and cellular analyses. To identify genes involved in salivary gland morphogenesis we are characterizing mutants generated by a chemical mutagenesis screen that affect the directed migration of the gland or the size and shape of the tube. In parallel, we are studying the role of the small GTPases, Rac and Rho, in regulation of salivary gland morphogenesis. Our studies on Drosophila salivary gland morphogenesis are revealing not only the mechanism by which simple epithelial tubes are formed, but also how more complex organs in higher organisms are formed.



Email: mmm2005@med.cornell.edu