In animal development, many events that shape organs involve rearrangement of simple 2D cell layers into complex 3D tissues. With Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) as our model, we will unveil novel cellular mechanisms involved in forming the 3D tissue architecture. This research will be carried out using in vivo live imaging technique and Drosophila genetics. Establishing multi-colored time-lapse imaging (5D imaging), we will address physiological significance and molecular mechanisms of membrane projections termed interplanar bridges that provide a framework for exchanging signaling information and coordinating mitosis among the two epithelial layers as the 3D tissue forms. We expect that the proposed projects will provide novel insights into how dynamics cell-cell communication leads to 3D morphogenesis, and anticipate that our findings will have implications for understanding human pathological processes and treating disease.

2022

2026